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Question #46446
The Question
The introduction of the Nile Perch into Lake Victoria (East Africa) led to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of over 200 species of cichlid fish. In the context of the 'Evil Quartet' and evolutionary biology, which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding this event?
Options
- A.
The endemic cichlid fishes were products of adaptive radiation, having evolved specialized morphological traits to partition resources within the lake.
- B.
The introduction of the Nile Perch acted as an environmental catalyst that collapsed the availability of partitioned niches through intense predation.
- C.
The extinction of the cichlid fishes inevitably triggered a cascade of co-extinctions among their unique, obligate parasite assemblages.
- D.
The Nile Perch successfully eliminated the endemic cichlids by undergoing rapid adaptive radiation to competitively exclude them from their specialized micro-niches.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Evolutionary_Exception
Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.
Concepts Behind This Question
Adaptive Radiation Logic|Alien Species Invasion Impacts|Co-extinction Logic
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often conflate an invasive species 'taking over a habitat' (an immediate ecological event driven by generalist traits or lack of natural predators) with 'adaptive radiation' (a slow evolutionary process of divergence into specialized niches).
The trap relies on misattributing the mechanism of the Nile Perch's dominance to evolutionary radiation rather than ecological invasion.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Evolution - Class 12 |
| Concept | Adaptive Radiation Logic |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |