hard · SAT Reading & Writing
In the late Carboniferous period, atmospheric oxygen levels reached nearly 35 percent, far higher than today's 21 percent. Since the size of an insect is limited by the distance oxygen can diffuse through its tracheal system, these hyperoxic conditions allowed for the evolution of giant arthropods. However, current research suggests that while high oxygen facilitates larger bodies, it also increases the risk of oxygen toxicity in larvae, which lack the sophisticated metabolic regulation of adults.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
- Giant insects would have been unable to survive if oxygen levels had dropped below 30 percent during the period.
- Max insect size in the Carboniferous was capped by a trade-off between respiratory efficiency and larval survival.
- Oxygen toxicity was the primary cause of the eventual extinction of giant arthropod species in the Permian period.
- Larval insects in the Carboniferous period evolved unique respiratory organs to combat the effects of high oxygen.
Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →
More SAT Reading & Writing practice
- The use of bioluminescence in marine organisms, such as the deep-sea anglerfish, serves…
- In her 1977 book 'On Photography', Susan Sontag argues that the act of taking a picture…
- The painter Mary Cassatt is often celebrated for her depictions of the private lives of…
- Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
- The study of deep-sea hydrothermal vents has revealed a unique ecosystem that does not…
- Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
- The following text is from a literary analysis of the poet Emily Dickinson. Dickinson's…
- Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
All Reading & Writing questions · SAT study guide · SAT glossary · SAT flashcards