Final answer:
No, island biota cannot be older than the island itself because the organisms making up the biota require land to survive on, and speciation occurs after the island forms.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is not possible for island biota to be older than the island itself since the living organisms that make up the biota (such as birds, plants, and insects) need a landform to inhabit. The island biogeography theory put forward by MacArthur and Wilson describes how biodiversity on an island develops over time as species migrate to the island, adapt through speciation, and potentially go extinct. For instance, the finches studied by Darwin on the Galápagos Islands provide an excellent example of adaptive radiation, where multiple new species evolved from a single ancestral species to fill different niches on the islands. The finches could not have existed before the formation of the islands they inhabit.
The correct option is 2.