Question

Explain adaptive radiation with the help of a suitable example.

What is adaptive radiation ? When can adaptive radiation be referred to as convergent evolution ? Give an example.

Answer 1

Development of different functional structures from a common ancestral form is called adaptive radiation.

Examples: Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands, Australian marsupials and locomotion in mammals

Answer 2

The process of evolution that starts from a single point and radiates in different directions is called adaptive radiation.

Example: Australian marsupials have evolved from a single ancestor and placental mammals exhibit similarities with their corresponding marsupials such as placental wolves and Tasmanian wolves.