Question

Which of the following options correctly lists the varieties of life in the order that they appear in the geologic record, from earliest to most recent?

A. reptiles, land arthropods, plants and fungi on land, flowering plants
B. plants and fungi on land, land arthropods, reptiles, flowering plants
C. land arthropods, plants and fungi on land, flowering plants, reptiles
D. plants and fungi on land, land arthropods, flowering plants, reptiles

Answer 1

The correct sequence from the geologic record is plants and fungi on land, followed by land arthropods, reptiles, and then flowering plants, thereby making option B the right choice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct order in which the varieties of life appeared in the geologic record, from earliest to most recent, is represented by plants and fungi appearing on land, followed by land arthropods, then reptiles, and finally flowering plants. The timeline reflects the colonization of land by plants and fungi around 500 million years ago, then the emergence of land arthropods. Reptiles appeared approximately 300 million years ago, and flowering plants developed later on in the geologic timescale.

Therefore, the correct option is B. plants and fungi on land, land arthropods, reptiles, flowering plants.