Question

Cite an example where more than one adaptive radiations have occurred in an isolated geographical area. Name the type of evolution your example depicts and state why it is so named.

Answer 1

Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands is an example where more than one adaptive radiations has occurred in an isolated geographical area. They had common ancestors but now have different types of modified beaks according to their food habits. He differentiated thirteen species of finches and grouped them into main types—large ground finches, cactus ground finches feeding on cacti, vegetarian tree finches, insectivorous tree finches, warbler finches and tool using or woodpecker finches.

This type of evolution is called divergent evolution as in this process the new species produced is diverged from a single ancestral form and is adapted to new invaded habitats.