NEETZoologyEvolution
When more than one adaptive radiation appeared to have occurred in an isolated geographical area (representing different habitats), the resulting evolutionary pattern is known as:
Options
- AConvergent evolution
- BDivergent evolution
- CParallel evolution
- DSaltation
Correct answer
A. Convergent evolution
Step-by-step solution
According to NCERT, when more than one adaptive radiation appeared to have occurred in an isolated geographical area (representing different habitats), one can call this convergent evolution. A classic example is the similarity between placental mammals and Australian marsupials, where each group underwent its own adaptive radiation but evolved similar forms to occupy similar ecological niches. Divergent evolution is typically associated with a single adaptive radiation from a common ancestor. Saltation refers to a