Refer to the Figure, Which Shows an Imaginary Name Scheme

question 157

Multiple Choice

Refer to the figure, which shows an imaginary name scheme for an undisturbed site with distinct fossil assemblages in the top five layers of strata. Imagine that the Ware layer contains abundant and diverse shellfish and other marine fauna, while Sunderland contains the flora and fauna associated with lowland swamps. Which hypothesis is the most logical explanation to account for this?

• A) A global warming event caused a sea level rise at the end of the Sunderland period, leaving its swamps under water.
• B) A global cooling event occurred at the end of the Ware period, lowering sea levels and turning the edge of the sea into a terrestrial habitat.
• C) Lowland swamp organisms outcompeted the shellfish and came to dominate the region.
• D) Volcanic activity created new land, which was then quickly vegetated.
• E) A global warming event occurred at the end of the Ware period, altering the salinity of the ocean and causing part of it to dry up.

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