Coevolution can be seen between some plants and animals, like the yucca plant and the yucca moth. The flowers are shaped specifically so that only the tiny moth can pollinate them.

Question

If the yucca most goes extinct due to climate change or other human-generated factors, what would be the likely outcome for the yucca plant?
Options:
The yucca plant would also go extinct
The yucca plant would evolve a new way to be pollinated
Humans would have to engineer a way to pollinate the plant
A new animal would evolve or adapt to take over the job of the yucca moth

Answer 1

The likely outcome for the yucca plant if the yucca moth goes extinct would be that a new animal would evolve or adapt to take over the job of pollinating the plant. Coevolution is a long-term process, and plants and animals can adapt to changes in their mutualistic relationships over time. In the absence of the yucca moth, natural selection would likely favor any animal species that can effectively pollinate the yucca plant, leading to the emergence of a new pollinator. This new animal would then fill the role previously occupied by the yucca moth, ensuring the continuation of the yucca plant species.

Answer 2

Pick out of my options

Answer 3

Based on the provided options, the most likely outcome for the yucca plant if the yucca moth goes extinct due to climate change or other human-generated factors would be:

1. A new animal would evolve or adapt to take over the job of the yucca moth.

This outcome is plausible as nature has shown its ability to fill ecological niches with new species when existing ones become extinct or unavailable. Over time, another animal species may evolve or adapt to effectively pollinate the yucca plant, ensuring its continued reproduction and survival.