question_answer

In which condition adaptive radiation leads to adaptive convergence? Explain with the help of an example.

Answer:

When more than one adaptive radiation appeared to have occurred in an isolated geographical area (representing different habitats) and two or more groups of unrelated animals come to resemble each other for similar mode of life or habitat, it is called adaptive convergence or convergent evolution.

For example, Adaptive convergence in mammals Australia marsupials and placental mammals in North America provide another example of convergent evolution. Despite the temporal and geographical separation, marsupials in Australia and placental mammals in North America have produced varieties of species living in similar habitat with similar ways of living. They are not related but resemble each other because they fill similar niches in each continent.