Question

Lung fishes, air breathing animals and corals predominated during the _____ period. Complete the given statement by choosing an appropriate option.
A) Mississippian
B) Silurian
C) Devonian
D) Jurassic

Answer 1

The order of occurrence of the time periods mentioned in the options are 1. Silurian, 2. Devonian, 3. Mississipian and 4. Jurassic. The time span of these evolutionary periods ranges from 443 million years ago to 144 million years ago.

Complete answer:
Let us look at each option one by one:
The Mississipian period occurred from 354 Million years ago to 323 Million years ago i.e. for 21 Million years. During this period organisms such as snails, amphibians, tree ferns, sharks and freshwater clams came into existence. This period also recorded the extinction of the armored fish. The organisms mentioned in the question came into existence before the Mississippian period, therefore, this option is incorrect.

The Silurian period occurred from 443 Million years ago to 417 Million years ago i.e. for 26 Million years. During this period organisms such as trilobites, jawless fish, crinoid stems, brachiopods, fish with jaws, nautilus, freshwater fish, gastropods and coral reefs came into existence. The organisms mentioned in the question came into existence after the Silurian period, therefore, this option is incorrect.

The Devonian period occurred from 417 Million years ago to 354 Million years ago i.e. for 63 Million years. During this period organisms such as starfish, corals, ammonites, crinoid stems, armored fish, sharks, early bony fish and early amphibians were in existence. The organisms mentioned in the question were predominantly found during this evolutionary period. Therefore, this is the correct option.

The Jurassic period occurred from 206 Million years ago to 144 Million years ago i.e. for 62 Million years. During this period organisms such as flying reptiles, dinosaurs, earwigs, conifers, redwood, cypress, yew, cycads, ginkgoes, and the early mammalian dicynodonts came into existence. The organisms mentioned in the question came into existence before the Jurassic period, therefore, this option is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is option (C) Devonian.

Note: Lungfish, also called ‘Dipnoi’ were the first aquatic organisms to have developed the ability to breathe air using lungs. These organisms use their swim bladder as lungs unlike other fish which use the swim bladder only for the maintenance of buoyancy. Thus, these organisms are examples for primitive amphibians.