Adaptive radiation is the diversification of a species into various forms to adapt to different surroundings to survive. It is a common ancestor, dividing into multiple species over a period of time. Example – Galapagos finches.
Convergent evolution is when different species that live in a similar environment evolve to possess similar traits. Example – fish and whales.
Adaptive Radiation
- Entities diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into different new forms, specifically when a change in the environment causes new resources to be available, changes biotic interactions or launches new environmental niches.
- Beginning with one ancestor, the process leads to speciation and phenotypic adaptation of different species showing varying physiological and morphological characteristics.
Convergent Evolution
- It is the independent evolution of similar features in a species of varying periods of time.
- It creates analogous structures having similar functions or forms but were not seen in the last common ancestor of these groups.
- The functionally similar traits which came up through convergent evolution are analogous, while the homologous characteristics have a common origin and can have dissimilar roles.
Key Differences Between Adaptive Radiation and Convergent Evolution
The table below depicts the differences between Adaptive radiation and Convergent evolution.
|
Adaptive Radiation |
Convergent Evolution |
|
What is it |
|
|
It is the diversification of a group of members into forms that fill different ecological niches |
It is the process of developing two or more species from an ancestor that is common over a period of time |
|
Type |
|
|
Type of microevolution |
Type of macroevolution |
|
Changes |
|
|
Ecological and morphological changes to a population are brought |
Creates analogous structures having similar function or form but were not seen in the last common ancestor of these groups |
|
Example |
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|
Finch speciation on the Galapagos (Darwin’s finches) |
Dolphins and fish, bats and birds |
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