What profound change happened to the community structure of tetrapods in the Permian that led to a change for the entire community?
What will be an ideal response?
The first evidence of tetrapod herbivory is in the Permian. Before this, terrestrial vertebrates could harvest the primary production of plants only indirectly that is, by eating invertebrates that fed on plants. Because insects are small, the vertebrates that eat them are also small—you can't imagine a predator the size of a wolf or lion feeding on insects. When vertebrates started eating plants, the size limit on the species at the bottom of the food web was removed—herbivorous species of vertebrates could grow to the size of modern herbivores, such as cows. The change in the base of the food web spread throughout the entire community because larger prey species can support larger predators.
You might also like to view...
Atom X has 17 protons. How many electrons are in its valence shell?
A) 3 B) 5 C) 7 D) 10
What type of tissue has little extracellular matrix because it forms covering and lining layers for body structures?
A. connective B. epithelial C. muscle
The ________ pituitary is a neural extension of the hypothalamus
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
The ________ arise at the junction of the vertebral pedicles and laminae, and are divided into a superior type, which projects cranially, and an inferior type, which projects caudally.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).