e) Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet.
d) According to some estimates, the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts.
c) Such a perspective fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution.
a) The standard criterion for the survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments.
b) Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to impacts.
