17. The Evolution of Animals

Which of the following statements are true?

I) Adaptive radiations often follow mass extinction events as organisms adapt to fill previously occupied niches.

II) Adaptive radiations are common on new volcanic islands where organisms can occupy many new environments.

III) The evolution of a new trait can trigger adaptive radiation as organisms are able to outcompete resident organisms in many different environments.

Which of the following would be considered an example of an adaptive radiation?

Which adaptive radiation is correctly matched to the extinction event that preceded it?

Which of the following statements about the Cambrian Explosion are true?

I) Before the Cambrian Explosion, most organisms had soft bodies.

II) The Permian extinction created new ecological niches that were exploited during the Cambrian Explosion.

III) After the Cambrian Explosion, new morphological features like limbs and jaws are observed.