Question

The process of evolution of different species in a geographical area starts from a point and literally radiates to other geographical areas. Explain it with an example.

Answer 1

Evolution is the change in heritable characteristics of a population over successive generations and one of the changes that will cause evolution is the process that causes diversification in the same geographical area because of habitat destruction, mass extinction, or new habitat formation.

Complete answer:
The process of evolution of different species in a geographical area starts from a point and radiates to other geographical areas and this process is called adaptive radiation. Thus, it can also be defined as a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into multiple new forms particularly because of change in the environment that will make new resources available, create new challenges, etc. One of the best-studied examples of adaptive radiation is Darwin’s finches.
Darwin’s finches
Darwin observed an amazing diversity of creatures during his journey to Galapagos island. One of the particular creatures that amazed Darwin was small black-birds which were later called Darwin’s finches. He realized that there were many different finches on the same island and these different varieties of finches evolved themselves on the island itself. The diversity of finches range from the original seed-eating features to becoming insectivorous and vegetarian finches having altered beak.

Note: Adaptive radiation is the process of evolution when species rapidly adapt to fill available habitats in the ecosystem. It is mostly seen in cases when new ecosystems open up. The examples of adaptive radiation include Darwin’s finches, Australian marsupials, and placental mammals in Australia. When more than one adaptive radiation could have occurred in an isolated geographical area, it can be called convergent evolution.