Final answer:
The claim that most animals outside of the ark were destroyed by the flood is not supported by scientific evidence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that most animals outside of the ark were destroyed by the flood is not supported by scientific evidence. There is no geological evidence to suggest a global flood of such magnitude ever occurred. Moreover, many animal groups have survived through multiple mass extinction events in Earth's history, indicating that they were not wiped out by a single catastrophic event.
Instead, mass extinctions, such as the extinction of dinosaurs, have been attributed to a variety of causes such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, cosmic collisions, and climatic disturbances. It is important to note that these events affected specific groups of animals rather than being indiscriminate in their destruction.
Furthermore, aquatic animals such as marine mammals, fishes, and plants were relatively unaffected by the flood because they were adapted to live in water, while terrestrial animals, such as placental mammals, birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles, may have been able to survive by seeking higher ground or finding refuge in other habitats.