Question

read the text. then answer the questions.
seeking long - lived mammals, paleontologist finds two
that lasted at least 23 million years
by gayathri vaidyanathan
in all of earths history, which species of mammal survived for
the longest time?
benjamin burger, a paleontologist at utah state university, has
come up with two candidates that could not be more different: a
tiny shrewlike animal that ate insects and a giant relative of the
elephant that had a long snout and weighed more than four tons.
both lasted for at least 23 million years in the period after the
dinosaurs died out. when burger lowered the bar of survival to
20 million years, he found 19 types of mammals that lasted that
long.
all of these are what scientists call exceptional survivors; most
mammals are mere blips in the fossil record. the average
duration is just 1.7 million years. studying the tenacious
holdouts may help scientists figure out if there are any traits that

the following question has two parts. first, answer part a. then, answer part b.
part a
which sentence best summarizes the authors claim about why experts examine the survival
rates of ancient species?
a understanding why some species went extinct helps determine the role size plays in
longevity.
b exploring mammals lifespans may help various experts understand what is happening in
modern ecosystems.
c analyzing why certain species died out will help settle ongoing arguments between
paleontologists and ecologists.
d studying the impact of environmental change on species can help pinpoint what caused
their massive extinctions.

Explanation:

The article discusses the study of ancient species' survival rates. Option B is correct as it aligns with the idea that exploring mammals' lifespans (which is related to survival rates of ancient species) can help experts understand modern ecosystems. Option A focuses on the role of size which isn't the main claim about why experts examine survival rates. Option C about settling arguments between paleontologists and ecologists isn't mentioned. Option D is more about what caused extinctions rather than the overall reason for examining survival rates (which is broader - understanding modern ecosystems).

Answer:

B. Exploring mammals’ lifespans may help various experts understand what is happening in modern ecosystems.