What hypothesis best explains the origin and content of Chavín iconography?

Question

a. Chavín's religious leaders deliberately imported lowland symbolism, perhaps believing that exotic lowland people had powerful esoteric knowledge; this interpretation is supported by ethnographic and ethnohistoric documentation
b. Paleoenvironmental change; the climate was warmer and more humid during Chavín times, and therefore the highlands were able to support the lowland complex of animals commonly depicted in Chavín art.
c. Population pressure; early Chavín people were forced from the tropical forests into the highlands, where they introduced lowland plants and animals; these plants and animals were represented in Chavín iconography to pay homage and deference to the ancient homeland.
d. It was a conscious effort by the Chavín elite to maintain their status; Chavín iconography was created by the elite, and served as a constant reminder to the general population that only the elite had access to the highly desirable plants and animals represented in Chavín art.
e. Paleoenvironmental degradation, causing the climate to be colder and drier during the Chavín period.

Answer 1

a