[Campbell Biology P.587] According to the 'Do Ecological Factors Affect Evolutionary Rates?'... | Practice Question

According to the 'Do Ecological Factors Affect Evolutionary Rates?' section, what is a key difference between species with planktonic larvae and species with nonplanktonic larvae?

  • A: Species with planktonic larvae have a swimming stage, while those with nonplanktonic larvae do not.
  • B: Nonplanktonic species tend to have broad geographic distributions, whereas planktonic species tend to be more isolated.
  • C: Planktonic larvae develop directly into adults without a swimming stage.
  • D: Nonplanktonic species can disperse very long distances.

Explanation

The text explicitly states: 'Some of the snail species had nonplanktonic larvae: They developed directly into adults without a swimming stage. Other species had planktonic larvae: They had a swimming stage and could disperse very long distances.'