The permian period ended and then rapid speciation occurred as new animal and plant forms evolved. the most likely explanation for this is

The options are:

I) adaptive radiation

II) ecological opportunity

III) lack of competition

IV) morphological innovation

A) just one of the above

B) two of the above

C) three of the above

D) all of the above

The correct answer is C) three of the above

Explanation:

The largest mass extinction was occurred during the end of the Permian period. Volcanic eruptions are considered the cause of this mass extinction which killed nearly 70 percent of all land species and 96% of ocean species.  

Adaptive radiation is the process in which species evolve very fast due to change in the environment and environment condition in which they lived earlier. Competition also decreased after the Permian period because most animals and plants got extinct which produced ecological opportunities for existing species to evolve.

So after the Permian period adaptive radiation, lack of competition and ecological opportunities allowed rapid speciation in the plant and animal species which survived this mass extinction.

the fossil record provides evidence of a common ancestor to many species.