What term describes a rapid, global loss of a large number of species?

What term describes a rapid, global loss of a large number of species?

• A. Mass Extinction
• B. Adaptive Radiation
• C. Speciation
• D. Genetic Drift

Answer: (A)

A rapid, global loss of a large number of species is called a mass extinction. It means extinction rates soar well above normal background levels and affect many different groups across large areas in a relatively short period of time, typically tied to dramatic environmental upheavals like massive volcanism, rapid climate shifts, ocean anoxia, or asteroid impacts. This concept is about the abrupt removal of biodiversity on a planetary scale. Adaptive radiation, by contrast, describes a burst of new species evolving from a common ancestor to fill available niches after a major change, which is a pattern of diversification rather than widespread loss. Speciation is the process by which new species arise, not necessarily linked to global, rapid extinction. Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies in small populations, not the large-scale disappearance of species.

A rapid, global loss of a large number of species is called a mass extinction. It means extinction rates soar well above normal background levels and affect many different groups across large areas in a relatively short period of time, typically tied to dramatic environmental upheavals like massive volcanism, rapid climate shifts, ocean anoxia, or asteroid impacts. This concept is about the abrupt removal of biodiversity on a planetary scale.

Adaptive radiation, by contrast, describes a burst of new species evolving from a common ancestor to fill available niches after a major change, which is a pattern of diversification rather than widespread loss. Speciation is the process by which new species arise, not necessarily linked to global, rapid extinction. Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies in small populations, not the large-scale disappearance of species.