Sentences with phrase «new ecological niches»

Potential explanations have included rising levels of atmospheric oxygen because of photosynthesis, allowing for the development of more complex animals; the rise in carnivorous species and new predatory tactics, such as the flat and segmented, armor - crushing creatures known as anomalocaridids; and the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia, which may have created new ecological niches and isolated populations as the continents drifted apart.

Or the wild creatures exploited new ecological niches created by humans, gradually habituating themselves to people and, in essence, domesticating themselves.

Some scientists had previously proposed a causal link between the two events: Raining debris from an asteroid breakup (SN: 7/23/16, p. 4) drove evolution by upsetting ecosystems and opening new ecological niches.

A study that has «weighed» hundreds of dinosaurs suggests that shrinking their bodies may have helped the group that became birds to continue exploiting new ecological niches throughout their evolution, and become hugely successful today.

Dinosaur body size evolved very rapidly in early forms, likely associated with the invasion of new ecological niches.

The strict division of labor between somatic and germ - line cells in a multicellular conglomerate may allow it to explore new ecological niches and to manipulate objects with specialized multicellular organs like jaws, paws, stalks, tentacles, tails, roots, leaves or fingers.

During this process, a number of modifications on genetic, biochemical and physiological levels took place, which facilitated adaptation to new ecological niches.

Although an evolutionary innovation can open up new ecological niches, traits which are essentially beneficial can put species at a disadvantage in the context of rapid environmental changes.

A protein normally used in digestion was mistakenly converted into a glycoprotien that permitted the cod to enter a new ecological niche.

Gray whales just happened to occupy a new ecological niche by feeding on crustaceans in coastal oceanic waters.

When humans went from mobile hunter / gatherer societies to sedentary villagers, they created a new ecological niche for neighboring wolves.