Some researchers have characterized the flora and fauna of the South Pacific island of Grande Terre as members of clades that inhabited nearby islands before Grande Terre completely emerged 37 million years ago. Thomas R. Buckley et al. found that the crown age (the age of the most recent common ancestor of all living and extinct species in the clade) of the clade of stick insects on Grande Terre is approximately 41.1 million years, while Jesús Gómez-Zurita et al. found that the crown age of the clade of flea beetles on Grande Terre is approximately 12.8 million years. (2024.10)

Which statement about the view put forward by "some researchers" is best supported by information in the text?
A. The view could be true of Grande Terre's stick insects but is not true of the island's flea beetles.
B. The view has some empirical support but is weakened by the findings of Buckley et al.
C. The view suggests that Grande Terre may have emerged as early as 41.1 million years ago.
D. The view depends on inaccurate assumptions about the crown ages of the clades of stick insects and flea beetles on Grande Terre.
翻译:
一些研究者将南太平洋岛屿Grande Terre上的动植物描述为:在Grande Terre于3700万年前完全露出海面之前,就已经栖息在附近岛屿上的进化枝的成员。Thomas R. Buckley等人发现,Grande Terre上stick insects进化枝的冠龄(该进化枝所有现存和已灭绝物种的最近共同祖先的年龄)约为4110万年,而Jesús Gómez-Zurita等人发现,Grande Terre上flea beetles进化枝的冠龄约为1280万年。
文本分析:
文本首先陈述研究者的观点:Grande Terre上的动植物是3700万年前岛屿完全露出之前就已存在于附近岛屿的进化枝的成员。这意味着,任何一个进化枝要想符合该观点,其冠龄必须早于或等于3700万年。随后,文本给出两个数据对比:stick insects冠龄为4110万年(>3700万年),flea beetles冠龄为1280万年(<3700万年)。因此,stick insects可能符合该观点,而flea beetles则不可能符合。
选项分析:
A. The view could be true of Grande Terre's stick insects but is not true of the island's flea beetles.
正确。 Stick insects冠龄(4110万年)早于岛屿完全露出的时间(3700万年),因此该观点可能对其成立;flea beetles冠龄(1280万年)晚于3700万年,说明其进化枝是在岛屿露出之后才出现的,因此该观点对其不成立。选项精确反映了文本中的数据对比。
B. The view has some empirical support but is weakened by the findings of Buckley et al.
错误。 Buckley等人关于stick insects的发现(4110万年)实际上支持了该观点,而不是削弱它。
C. The view suggests that Grande Terre may have emerged as early as 41.1 million years ago.
错误。 文本明确说岛屿完全露出是3700万年前。研究者的观点是以3700万年为前提的,并没有将其推回到4110万年。Stick insects的冠龄更早只说明其祖先在岛屿露出前就已存在,并不改变岛屿露出的时间。
D. The view depends on inaccurate assumptions about the crown ages of the clades of stick insects and flea beetles on Grande Terre.
错误。 文本并没有暗示这些冠龄数据本身是不准确的。事实上,文本用这些数据作为实证证据来检验该观点,而非质疑数据的真实性。
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