Question

martin danták, wewin tjiasmanto, and colleagues have identified a new carnivorous plant species (nepenthes pudica) in indonesia. like other carnivorous plants, n. pudica has pitfall traps, or pitchers, that capture prey, but unlike others, the pitchers of n. pudica are located underground. the researchers unearthed the new species on fairly dry ridges with surfaces that host few other plants and animals. therefore, the researchers hypothesize that the n. pudica species likely ______ which choice most logically completes the text? choose 1 answer. a is buried by nearby animals as they forage along the ridges for food. b evolved to have underground traps to access more prey than would surface traps. c formed pitchers early in development to absorb more moisture. d represents one of many undiscovered carnivorous plant species in the region.

Explanation:

The text emphasizes that Nepenthes pudica has underground pitchers unlike other carnivorous plants and is found in an area with few surface - dwelling plants and animals. The most logical reason for having underground traps is to access more prey than surface traps would, as the surface environment is not very productive in terms of prey. Option A has no basis in the text as there is no mention of animals burying the plant. Option C is wrong because the text is about trapping prey, not absorbing moisture. Option D is not a logical completion based on the information given about the unique feature of this particular plant.

Answer:

B. evolved to have underground traps to access more prey than would surface traps.