The emergence of a new plant species over a brief period of time followed by a long period of little change is consistent with which of the following theories?

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The emergence of a new plant species over a brief period of time followed by a long period of little change is consistent with punctuated equilibrium theory, which suggests that evolution occurs in fits and starts rather than gradually. This fits the pattern described, where there is rapid speciation followed by little change over time. The other options do not fit this scenario as well: gradual model of speciation proposes slow and continuous change over time, allopatric speciation refers to speciation due to geographic isolation, and adaptive radiation involves the rapid diversification of a single ancestral lineage into many different species in response to ecological opportunities.

The Emergence of a New Plant Species Over a Brief