Uniformitarianism states that the geologic processes occurring in the past are the same processes that are occurring today. Processes we see happening on Earth today have occurred for millions of years, forming the rocks and landforms around us. In the
Kimberley Region of Western Australia, there is a Devonian limestone formation with a structure similar to today's Barrier Reef. It
is composed largely of corals. Based on the principles of uniformitarianism, what can we infer about this region back in the
Devonian period?
A) The Kimberly region is composed of sedimentary rocks deposited over
millions of years since the Devonian period.
B) Because modern corals live in warm, shallow seas, we can infer the same
environment existed during the Devonian period, where the Kimberleys are
today
C) We can infer that the climate has not changed over millions of years in the
Kimberly region of Australia and both biotic and abiotic factors remain
constant over time.
D) Because modern corals live in warm, shallow seas, we can infer that over
millions of years the animals that comprise the reefs have adapted to
changes in environmental conditions in the Kimberly area.