Which of the following scenarios best explains how resource partitioning can lead to adaptive radiation?(1 point)
Responses
The utilization of different resources requires different adaptations, selecting for different traits.
The utilization of different resources requires different adaptations, selecting for different traits.
There is no connection between adaptive radiation and the resource partitioning in nature.
There is no connection between adaptive radiation and the resource partitioning in nature.
The lack of competition between individuals leads to better survival and reproduction rates.
The lack of competition between individuals leads to better survival and reproduction rates.
The lack of competition leads to a more balanced ecosystem, resulting in more offspring.
The utilization of different resources requires different adaptations, selecting for different traits.
The correct answer is:
The utilization of different resources requires different adaptations, selecting for different traits.
Resource partitioning refers to the division of limited resources among different species or individuals within a species in order to reduce competition. When different resources are available within an environment, it can lead to the evolution of different traits or adaptations that allow species to exploit specific resources. This leads to the diversification of species and the process of adaptive radiation, where different species evolve from a common ancestor to fill different ecological niches. So, the utilization of different resources requiring different adaptations and selecting for different traits is the scenario that best explains how resource partitioning can lead to adaptive radiation.
The correct answer is: The utilization of different resources requires different adaptations, selecting for different traits.
To understand why this scenario best explains how resource partitioning can lead to adaptive radiation, let's break it down.
First, let's understand what resource partitioning and adaptive radiation mean:
1. Resource partitioning: This is the process by which species divide and utilize available resources in their environment in order to reduce competition. By utilizing different resources, species can coexist in the same habitat.
2. Adaptive radiation: This occurs when a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into multiple descendant species that occupy different ecological niches (habitats) and develop distinct adaptations.
Now, let's connect the dots:
When species within a habitat encounter limited resources, such as food or nesting sites, they tend to evolve different adaptations to exploit different resources. This is known as resource partitioning.
For example, within a forest, different bird species may partition food resources by specializing in different feeding strategies. One species may have a long beak for probing deep into flowers for nectar, while another may have a short, sturdy beak for cracking open seeds. By specializing in different resources, they can coexist without direct competition.
Now, when species within a habitat develop these different adaptations due to resource partitioning, it creates an opportunity for adaptive radiation. This is because the species with different adaptations are now able to occupy different ecological niches and exploit different resources. Over time, natural selection acts upon these different adaptations, leading to the formation of new species that are specialized for specific resources or habitats.
Therefore, the scenario that states, "The utilization of different resources requires different adaptations, selecting for different traits," best explains how resource partitioning can lead to adaptive radiation. This scenario highlights the relationship between the utilization of different resources and the subsequent evolution of different traits, leading to the diversification of species and the formation of new ecological niches.