Animals are heterotrophs. how might this have contributed to such great animal diversity?

They will have different eating habits and find different food sources, creating variety in their species.

Explanation:

Heterotrophic animals are those that are unable to produce their own food, requiring previously produced organic matter. This means that heterotrophic animals feed on other living beings to produce energy and synthesize their biomolecules. These organisms are unable to transform inorganic material into organic.

In the food chain, heterotrophic organisms may be consumers or decomposers. Consumers are those who feed on other living things. Herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous animals are part of this group. Because of the different eating habits you will find different sources of food, creating variety in their species and contributing to animal diversity.

In addition to consumers, we can cite as heterotrophic organisms the decomposers. Fungi and bacteria are representatives of this group, which stands out for degrading dead organic matter into smaller parts and soluble forms of nutrients. This process is important because it ensures that nutrients return to the environment and can be reused by other organisms.