Question

How did Darwin explain adaptive radiation ? Give another example exhibiting adaptive radiation.

Answer 1

During his exploration of the Galapagos Islands, Darwin noticed that there were many varieties of finches in the same island. They varied from normal seed-eating ones to those that ate insects. This process of evolution, starting from a single point and radiating in different directions, is called adaptive radiation. Another example of adaptive radiation is the evolution of the Australian marsupials from a single ancestor. Placental mammals also exhibit similarities to their corresponding marsupials.
Examples: Placental wolf and the Tasmanian wolf

When more than one adaptive radiation occurs in an isolated geographical area, the phenomenon is called convergent evolution.