Question

Mammals occur on land, air and water. It is

• A. Convergent evolution
• B. Microevolution
• C. Adaptation
• D. Adaptive radiation

Answer 1

The correct option is D Adaptive radiation

The evolutionary process which produces new species diverged from a single ancestral form and adapted to new invaded habitats and to modes of life necessary there, is known as adaptive radiation or divergent evolution.

Example revealing adaptive radiation, is based on locomotion in mammals. A variety of mammals such as Running cheetah, borrowing mole, walking elephant, arboreal climbing squirrel, arboreal hanging sloth, swimming seal, flying bat, flying squirrel, leaping kangaroo and running deer have limbs for locomotion.

Limbs in all these mammals have common origin but have been modified differently in different mammals and also serve different functions.

So, the correct answer is 'Adaptive radiation'.