Question

Which class of arthropods is the most diverse animal group on the planet? How can this evolutionary success be explained?

Answer 1

Answer) In the Arthropods phylum, "Insects" class is the most diverse group on this planet. as per the available data, Insect species account for more than 55% of the recorded species of all living animals.

Their evolutionary success can be explained based on their special and distinctive characteristics;

• Small size; due to their small size, they have more advantage of escaping and hiding from their predators.
• Food habits; with the wide range of food habits, they can thrive in many different ecological habitats.
• Wings for flight; flight is a great advantage for such small-sized organism. this way, they cover a larger area of niche as compared to their size.
• Tracheal respiration; tracheal respiration is yet simpler mechanism but highly energy efficient.
• High reproductive rate; they follow an r-selection, which allows them to thrive in the unstable environment and reproduce "cheap" offsprings.