Birds and mammals are endotherms. They maintain body temperature by producing heat through metabolism. Endothermy is energetically expensive for an organism, yet endotherms have become the dominant group of tetrapods. What is a major evolutionary advantage of endothermy?

Question

Birds and mammals are endotherms. They maintain body temperature by producing heat through metabolism. Endothermy is energetically expensive for an organism, yet endotherms have become the dominant group of tetrapods. What is a major evolutionary advantage of endothermy?

A. Endothermy allows greater independence from water.

B. Endothermy decreases the amount of time an animal spends hunting or foraging.

C. Endothermy widened the range of habitats available and increased speciation.

D. Endothermy allows more body resources to be used for growth and reproduction.

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Answer 1

Bot GPT 3.5 answered
1 month ago

D. Endothermy allows more body resources to be used for growth and reproduction.

The ability to regulate their own body temperature allows endotherms to maintain high metabolic rates, which in turn allows for increased growth and reproduction. This is a major evolutionary advantage as it enables endotherms to allocate more energy towards growth and reproduction, ultimately increasing their chances of survival and reproductive success.