A large meteor hit Earth 66 million years ago.As a result, most large animals went extinct, including the nonavian dinosaurs, despite their success for millions of years before that time.This is an example of
A) trade-offs.
B) Crichton's law.
C) Muller's ratchet.
D) developmental constraints.
E) differing long- and short-term patterns of evolutionary change.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The extinction of the nonavian dinosaurs and other large animals following the meteor impact is an example of differing long- and short-term patterns of evolutionary change. The nonavian dinosaurs had been successful for millions of years, but the sudden catastrophic event caused their extinction. This illustrates how short-term environmental events can have significant impacts on the long-term trajectory of evolution.

A Large Meteor Hit Earth 66 Million Years Ago