Question
Biology Question on evolution
Which evolutionary phenomenon is depicted by the sketch given in figure?
A
Artificial selection
B
Genetic drift
C
Convergent evolution
D
Adaptive radiation
Answer
Adaptive radiation
Explanation
Solution
The image depicts the variation in beak shapes of Darwin’s finches. This is a classic example of adaptive radiation.
Adaptive radiation occurs when a single ancestor species diversifies into multiple new species, each adapted to a different ecological niche.
In the case of Darwin’s finches , the ancestral finch species that colonized the Galapagos Islands diversified into various species with different beak shapes adapted to different food sources, such as insects, seeds, and fruits.