Question

A scientists wishes to determine whether or not a marine ecosystem underwent primary or secondary succession in the past. What evidence would be most useful for making this determination?
Unearth the fossil history of the ecosystem to find producers that can live on rock.
Use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the rock underlying the ecosystem.
Determine the average age of all producer species in the ecosystem at the present time.
Determine the chemical composition of the water in the ecosystem at the present time.

Answer 1

I believe the correct answer from the choices listed above is the second option. The evidence that would be most useful for making this determination would be to use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the rock underlying the ecosystem.. Succession is usually initiated by a significant disturbance of an existing community. Hope this answers the question.