Evolution Question 101

101. Parallelism is

[1990]

(a) adaptive divergence

(b) adaptive divergence of widely separated species

(c) adaptive convergence of widely different species

(d) adaptive convergence of closely related groups

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Answer : d

Hints & Solution

(d) In convergent evolution similar adaptive functional structure develop in different species (unrelated group of organism). When convergent evolution is found in separate but closely related species (related evolutionary lineages) it is called parallel evolution. In parallel evolution the two species have a relatively recent common ancestors.