A new species of coral has been discovered in a region warmed by volcanic activity over the past several decades. Which explanation best describes how environmental changes may have contributed to the emergence of this new species?(1 point)

Question

A new species of coral has been discovered in a region warmed by volcanic activity over the past several decades. Which explanation best describes how environmental changes may have contributed to the emergence of this new species?(1 point)
Responses

The volcanic activity decreased the temperature in another region and the coral moved.
The volcanic activity decreased the temperature in another region and the coral moved.

The heat from volcanic activity could have killed existing coral species.
The heat from volcanic activity could have killed existing coral species.

Warmer waters caused predators to arrive, allowing the coral to populate the region.
Warmer waters caused predators to arrive, allowing the coral to populate the region.

Warmer waters may have selected for a species that thrived in the new environment

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The best explanation for how environmental changes may have contributed to the emergence of this new species is:

Warmer waters may have selected for a species that thrived in the new environment.

This explanation highlights the concept of natural selection, where environmental changes, such as increased water temperatures due to volcanic activity, can favor certain traits in coral species, allowing those that are better adapted to survive and reproduce in the new conditions.