Question

Imagine walking through a tropical rainforest. You notice that there are different types of trees, birds, insects, and other organisms. A few weeks later you are taking a walk through the desert and notice that the trees, birds, insects, and other organisms are different than those you saw in the rainforest. Which of the following statements best explains the differences between each of these ecological systems?
A. Organisms in each ecological system have short dispersal distances and are confined to the area where they mate.
B. Organisms in each ecological system have evolved in that system and have adaptations suited for that environment.
C. Organisms in each ecological system haven't had enough time to evolve the adaptations for the other ecosystem; with enough time they will evolve into the other ecological system.
D. Organisms in each ecological system are there by chance and their presence in different ecological systems does not have a biological explanation.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Organisms in each ecological system have evolved in that system and have adaptations suited for that environment.

Explanation:

According to natural selection theory, organisms need to continuously adapt and evolve within an environment or risk being wiped away from that environment.

Organisms that are not able to adapt to an environment are gradually replaced by those that have the capability to adapt and survive in that environment.

Those that are able to survive go ahead to reproduce and give rise to offspring with inherent ability to survive while those that cannot survive die off.

The correct option is B.

Answer 2

Answer:

B. Organisms in each ecological system have evolved in that system and have adaptations suited for that environment.

Explanation:

Every organism lives in a habitat, within which it lives in an ecosystem best suited for its need. An organism needs food, water and a favorable weather to live. For an organism to survive in an ecosystem, it needs to adapt to the conditions in that ecosystem, else it dies. Therefore, different types of organisms in different systems will have varying characteristics.

This is linked to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution which implies that all organism in an ecological system evolve heritable traits suited for their environment.