An organism is found to be almost unchanged from its 200 million year old fossil.This is an example of ____.
A) stasis
B) coevolution
C) mass extinction
D) adaptive radiation
E) idealized design

Question

An organism is found to be almost unchanged from its 200 million year old fossil.This is an example of ____.  
A) stasis
B) coevolution
C) mass extinction
D) adaptive radiation
E) idealized design

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stasis refers to the maintenance of a constant form or structure over a long period of time without significant evolution or change. The fact that the organism is almost unchanged from its 200 million year old fossil suggests that it has been in a state of stasis for a very long time. Coevolution involves the mutually beneficial adaptation of two or more species, so it is not an appropriate answer here. Mass extinction refers to a sudden and significant decline in biodiversity, while adaptive radiation involves the diversification of a single ancestral species into many different species in response to environmental opportunities or challenges. Idealized design is a problem-solving methodology used in engineering, and is also not a relevant answer in this context.

An Organism Is Found to Be Almost Unchanged from Its