Final answer:
When extreme contest competition occurs within a population, local extinction may occur due to intense intraspecific competition for scarce resources, significantly impacting the less well-adapted individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
When extreme contest competition occurs within a population, the correct answer is B) local extinction may occur. This type of competition, known as intraspecific competition, happens when members of the same species compete for limited resources. As the population grows, resources such as food, water, and nesting space become scarcer, leading to increased competition. Those who are not well-adapted will suffer from lower reproductive success and could even face local extinction if they cannot secure enough resources to survive and reproduce.
Conversely, interspecific competition involves different species competing for resources, but the outcome is similar: one species out-competes the other, potentially leading to the extinction of the less well-adapted species.