Mass Extinctions Cause the Loss of Many Species,no Matter How

question 21

Multiple Choice

Mass extinctions cause the loss of many species,no matter how well adapted those species were before the extinction.Why might previous adaptations NOT help a species survive a mass extinction?

• A) The rapid environmental changes that cause mass extinctions do not leave the organisms time to adapt.
• B) Ongoing continental drift allows more species to interbreed, which lowers the genetic variability available for adaptation.
• C) Adaptive radiations are stronger than adaptations.
• D) Well-adapted organisms will not be affected by mass extinction; these are the groups that will survive.

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