How do adaptive radiation and convergent evolution differ?

Answer 1

Divergent evolution creates the divergence of a single species by isolating the gene pools of each species thereby increasing the differences between the population and eventually species. Divergent evolution is the evolution of different species from a common ancestor (and hence common characteristics) to attain new, dissimilar characteristics.

Convergent evolution works on a different level. Unlike divergent evolution, convergent evolution does not create species with similar derived characteristics. Convergent evolution involves the adaptation of several different, unrelated organisms to the same environment in the same way. For example, flies and birds are not immediately related yet they both cope with getting around by flying with wings- similar structures that are not derived from one and other. Convergent evolution does not create new species, unlike divergent evolution.

Convergent evolution is the co-evolution of different species with different ancestors in such a way that they attain the same characteristics independently of each other.

Answer 2

Convergent evolution is when different organisms evolve to display similar traits which serve similar functions.

For example, the wings of a bat, bird, and bee are fundamentally different in structure and are unrelated except for the fact that all three serve the purpose of flight.

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Divergent evolution is when similar organisms become genetically different and become diverse, until they can eventually give rise to new species.

Answer 3

Convergent evolution is when two completely separate organisms share a similar environment, and develop similar characteristics because of it, even through they did not both originally have this characteristic.

Parallel evolution is when a characteristic is present in a common ancestor, inherited in two or more lineages descendant from that ancestry, and continues to develop similarly in those descendant lineages.

Answer 4

Convergent Evolution-Evolution toward similar characteristics in unrelated species, resulting from adaptions to similar environmental conditions.

Divergent Evolution- Evolution of one one or more closely related species into different species, resulting from adaptions to different environmental conditions.

Answer 5

Convergent evolution is when different species evolve similar traits and become more alike, whereas divergent is where two groups of same species animals will evolve down different paths becoming more dissimilar.

Answer 6

Co-evolution is when two species evolve together, affecting one another's evolutionary path, like flowers and bees or ants and aphids. Convergent evolution is when two species independently evolve similar morphological structures, like whales and fish, or bats and birds.

Answer 7

Adaptive radiation refers to changes in a species in response to varying environmental conditions. For example, the beaks of Galapagos Island finches varied as climate change altered finch diets. Radiation implies bifurcation of species, or the development of novel variations from an original species.

Convergent evolution implies two different species, generally only remotely related, evolving similar traits to adapt to a similar environment. One example of this is the saber toothed cat, smilodon, versus the saber toothed marsupial, thylacosmilus. In this instance the two species were separated in both time and place, with smilodon occupying a niche in North America, whereas thylaosmilus was relegated to Australia. Their most recent common ancestor would have been between eutherians and metatherians, which lived perhaps some hundred million years ago. In form and feature these two are remarkably alike, save the one key distinguishing characteristic.

Answer 8

Co-evolution is the evolution of two species driven one by the other, Prey predator interactions are an example of this. Faster foxes produce faster rabbits, within physical limits.

Convergent evolution is morphological similarities attained by different organisms in the same, by separated by distance environment. Gor the marsupial sugar gloder in Australia there is the flying squirrel in North America.

Divergent evolution is variant morphological traits among groups that could lead to speciation, especially with geographic separation. Man and chimpanzee could be an example of this as they were of a common ancestry group.

Answer 9

Convergent Evolution: Two or more species that are not closely related that evolve a similar structure to survive in a similar environment. (Ex: sharks and dolphins both evolved a streamlined body to move in the water quickly.)

Coevolution: Two or more species that evolve in a way that complement each other. (Ex: Flowers have evolved colorful petals and sweet nectar to attract bees to pollinate them;bees have evolved a proboscis long enough to reach the flowers sweet nectar they need to survive.)