Evolution Question 5
5. In Australia, marsupials and placental mammals have evolved to share many similar characteristics. This type of evolution may be referred to as
[2019]
(a) Convergent evolution
(b) Adaptive radiation
(c) Divergent evolution
(d) Cyclical evolution
Show Answer
Answer : a
Hints & Solution
(a) In Australia, marsupials and placental mammals have evolved to share many similar characteristics. This type of evolution may be referred to as convergent evolution. Many placental mammals resemble the marsupial mammals not only in structure but also in leading similar ways of life. These similarities in these two different types of mammals (Marsupials and placentals) w.r.t. ancestors are due to living in the similar ecological niches. Hence, when two different types of organisms converge towards functional similarity one can conclude that convergent evolution has occurred.
