Many pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies eat nectar from flowers. Hummingbirds also eat nectar, but they are outnumbered by the pollinating insects with which they compete. Suppose that an extinction event wiped out all of the pollinating insects. Which of the following hypotheses for what would happen next is reasonable? A.
Many new species of hummingbirds would evolve to fill the niches left vacant by the pollinating insects.
B.
Many species of flowering plants would die, but many new species of non-flowering plants would evolve to fill the ecological niches left behind.
C.
Both of these are reasonable hypotheses.
D.
Neither of these are reasonable hypotheses.