The adaptive diversification of early mammals was due to
A)their homeothermic advantage.
B)their metabolic efficiency that allowed lower food consumption per unit of body mass.
C)the independence of their young.
D)the extinction of many competing amniote groups at the end of the Cretaceous.
E)their larger size which made them better predators.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The adaptive diversification of early mammals was significantly influenced by the extinction of many competing amniote groups, including dinosaurs, at the end of the Cretaceous period. This mass extinction event opened up ecological niches that mammals could then occupy and diversify into.

The Adaptive Diversification of Early Mammals Was Due to