Over a span of several thousand years, a number of species show adaptations to climate change: Drier, warmer conditions select for succulent vegetation and deep taproots in plants, burrowing in mammals and amphibians, and other similar adaptive changes. What will happen if the climate shifts in the opposite direction and becomes progressively wetter and cooler?
A)Ongoing processes of adaptation will continue because of evolutionary inertia.
B)Different adaptive trends will probably be favored in the new climatic environment.
C)Current adaptive trends will continue, but organisms will now also have to add on adaptations to deal with cool, wet conditions.
D)Adaptation will cease because cool, wet conditions are generally favorable for life.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Different adaptive trends will probably be favored in the new climatic environment because wetter and cooler conditions require different adaptations than drier and warmer conditions. Organisms may need to adapt to living in waterlogged environments, growing in shaded areas, or coping with new types of predators or prey. Adaptation is an ongoing process, and natural selection will favor those traits that enhance survival and reproduction in the current environment.

Over a Span of Several Thousand Years, a Number of Species