Question

based on findings from fossil sites, paleobotanists had developed the so - called partition hypothesis, which holds that there were two distinctly different kinds of biomes during the devonian period (circa 360 to 420 million years ago). one was a tropical deltaic forest biome home to plants such as the fernlike eospermatopteris, and the other was an arid floodplain forest biome home to plants such as the coniferlike archaeopteris. recently, however, evolutionary ecologist khudadad khudadad examined the remnants of a devonian forest in what is now cairo, new york, and concluded that evidence from the cairo site is inconsistent with the partition hypothesis. which finding about the cairo site, if true, would most directly support khudadads conclusion? a the site appears to have been a tropical deltaic forest early in the devonian period but transitioned to an arid floodplain forest after the end of the devonian period. b fossil evidence from the site suggests that several forest plant species other than eospermatopteris and archaeopteris lived there during the devonian period. c although the site appears to have been a tropical deltaic forest during the devonian period, fossil evidence suggests that eospermatopteris was present at that time. d the site appears to have been an arid floodplain forest during the devonian period and contains fossil evidence of both eospermatopteris and archaeopteris.

Explanation:

The partition hypothesis states there were two distinct biomes with specific plant - species associations. Option D shows an arid floodplain forest (one of the hypothesized biomes) containing fossils of plants (Eospermatopteris and Archaeopteris) that were supposed to be in different biomes according to the hypothesis. This directly contradicts the partition hypothesis, thus supporting Khudadad's conclusion.

Answer:

D. The site appears to have been an arid floodplain forest during the Devonian period and contains fossil evidence of both Eospermatopteris and Archaeopteris.