NEETZoologyEvolution
Which of the following pairs of mammals is an example of divergent evolution?
Options
- ATasmanian wolf and Tiger cat
- BLemur and Spotted cuscus
- CFlying squirrel and Flying phalanger
- DWolf and Tasmanian wolf
Correct answer
A. Tasmanian wolf and Tiger cat
Step-by-step solution
Adaptive radiation is a process of evolution of different species in a given geographical area starting from a point and radiating to other areas of geography, which is a form of divergent evolution. A number of marsupials, each different from the other, evolved from an ancestral stock within the Australian island continent. Tasmanian wolf and Tiger cat are both Australian marsupials, thus representing divergent evolution from a common marsupial ancestor. When more than one adaptive radiation appears to have occurr