Question

mesozoic eracomprehension questionsuse your reading passage to answer the questions.1. what would be a good nickname for the mesozoic era?a. the age of dinosaursb. the age of mammalsc. the age of flowering plants2. would dinosaurs have evolved without the permian extinction? explain your answer.3. during the paleozoic era, insects were huge. insects became much smaller during the jurassic period. what is the most likely cause of this change?a. the climate got colder during the jurassic period.b. birds evolved during the jurassic period.c. oxygen levels dropped significantly during the jurassic period.4. which continent did not exist during the mesozoic era?a. pangaeab. gondwanac. africa5. what caused the dinosaurs to go extinct?a. the climate became colder, and the dinosaurs were cold-blooded.b. the climate became colder, and the plants on earth changed.c. an asteroid struck the earth and blocked out the sun for two years.6. how did insects help flowering plants spread? think about what you know about flowers and insects.

Explanation:

1. The Mesozoic Era is defined by dinosaur dominance.
2. The Permian extinction eliminated dominant species, opening niches for dinosaurs. Without this, those niches would remain occupied, preventing dinosaur evolution.
3. High Paleozoic oxygen allowed large insect tracheal systems; lower Jurassic oxygen limited their size.
4. Africa formed later as Pangaea split during/after the Mesozoic.
5. The asteroid impact is the widely supported leading cause of non-avian dinosaur extinction.
6. Insects transfer pollen between flowering plants, enabling cross-pollination and seed production for spread.

Answer:

1. a. The Age of Dinosaurs
2. No. The Permian extinction wiped out most terrestrial species, which opened up ecological niches that dinosaurs evolved to fill. Without this extinction event, the dominant species would likely have remained, leaving no space for dinosaurs to diversify and become the dominant group.
3. c. Oxygen levels dropped significantly during the Jurassic period.
4. c. Africa
5. c. An asteroid struck the Earth and blocked out the Sun for two years.
6. Insects like bees, butterflies, and beetles feed on the nectar of flowering plants. As they move from plant to plant, pollen grains from the male parts of flowers stick to their bodies. When they land on another plant of the same species, this pollen is transferred to the female part of the flower, allowing fertilization. Fertilized flowers can then produce seeds, which grow into new plants, helping flowering plants spread to new areas.