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Question #46899
The Question
Paul Ehrlich’s 'Rivet Popper Hypothesis' compares ecosystem dynamics to an airplane's structural integrity. When synthesizing this ecological principle with the concept of emergent properties (as seen in cellular metabolism), which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
Options
- A.
The extinction of a keystone species is analogous to losing a rivet on the airplane wing, triggering a cascading collapse of metabolic interdependence within the community.
- B.
Just as isolated metabolic reactions in vitro are 'living reactions' but lack the emergent properties of a living cell, a fragmented ecosystem loses its emergent resilience despite retaining individual surviving species.
- C.
The initial loss of a few 'rivets' from the airplane seats (extinction of redundant species) causes an immediate and proportional collapse of the ecosystem's overall metabolic diversity.
- D.
Co-extinction of obligate mutualists, such as the Fig tree and its pollinator wasp, exemplifies how the evolutionary continuity of one species is strictly tethered to the ecological niche of another.
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Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Evolutionary_Exception
Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.
Concepts Behind This Question
Metabolism vs. In-vitro Reactions|Co-extinction Logic|Rivet Popper Hypothesis
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often misinterpret biodiversity loss as a strictly linear process where every extinction causes an equal, immediate drop in ecosystem function.
The Rivet Popper hypothesis specifically teaches the concept of 'ecological redundancy'—ecosystems can buffer the loss of 'seat rivets' initially, but crash catastrophically when a threshold is crossed or a 'wing rivet' (keystone species) is lost.
The trap lies in the phrase 'immediate and proportional collapse'.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | The Living World - Class 11 |
| Concept | Metabolism vs. In-vitro Reactions |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |