Our example says, for each of the possible contributing reasons for the Cambrian explosion below, write why you think they could facilitate adaptive radiation. Alright. So let's go through them one by one. The rise of the predators. How could the rise of the predators cause adaptive radiation of other organisms?
Well, when we said there are more predators, well now other animals have to evolve defenses. Let's say evolve defenses. Right? When there's predators, well now things gain those hard bodies. They get spiky. They can get more mobile. Right? The more predators there are, the more ways there are to try and get away from the predators, and that could lead to some adaptive radiation. Alright, well, what about an increase in oxygen? What do you think there?
Well, an increase in oxygen, we said could allow for animals to get bigger and more active. Bigger and more active animals, I'm going to say. And as animals are bigger and more active, that allows them to exploit new ecological niches. Alright, our final one here, new animal developmental genes. How could that add to an adaptive radiation?
Well, we said that those new animal developmental genes allowed for more complex body types. Alright. With that, we have more practice after this. Give it a try.