Asked by andrew

Looking through the fossil record, there are times when numerous fossils appear suddenly with similar characteristics. What is the BEST explanation for this pattern?
A
The environment changed very slowly, allowing species to adapt gradually.
B
The environment remained stable for long periods, so species did not change much.
C
New species appeared gradually over many generations as the environment slowly changed.
D
Sudden changes in the environment caused new species to appear quickly.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
D

Sudden (geologically rapid) environmental changes can trigger rapid speciation or adaptive radiations, producing many similar fossils that appear "suddenly" in the record.