Final answer:
The best scenario supporting the Red Queen Hypothesis is when a snail population that reproduces asexually dies out due to a parasite, as it underscores the importance of evolving in response to ecological pressures. All the provided statements about coevolution are true, including its promotion of biodiversity, potential endangerment due to species extinction, and its basis in reciprocal evolutionary change driven by natural selection.Option 4 is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Coevolution is a process of reciprocal evolutionary change between ecologically intimate species, often triggered by natural selection. When considering the scenarios that best support the Red Queen Hypothesis — a concept in evolutionary biology suggesting that organisms must constantly adapt and evolve not merely to gain reproductive advantage but also to simply survive against ever-evolving opposing organisms — we assess four different cases.
The scenario that provides the best support for the Red Queen Hypothesis is (b) Individuals of a snail population that reproduce asexually die out after a parasite invades its territory. This illustrates how a lack of genetic diversity, which is often higher in sexually reproducing species, can result in the inability to evolve fast enough to cope with challenges such as new parasites. The other scenarios do not emphasize the ongoing evolutionary arms race implied by the Red Queen Hypothesis.
It is important to recognize the implications of coevolution. Coevolution can promote biodiversity, as the diversity of life forms can result from the complex interactions and adaptations between species. Additionally, the extinction of a species can endanger its coevolutionary partners, as interdependencies mean the loss of one species can have a ripple effect. Given these points, it is clear that (4) All of the above are true regarding the aspects and consequences of coevolution.