Adaptive Radiations, Biology

Assignment Help:

Adaptive Radiations

The organisms all the time tend to establish harmony with their environment. This process, called adaptation, enables the organism to face the vagaries of the ever changing environment. Adaptation in fact sums up the whole result of evolution. You might have noticed that when organisms belonging to dissimilar groups come to occupy similar environment, they develop striking identities in structure and behaviour, giving a false impression of closer relationship. For instance, fishes and whales which belong actually to different classes are found in similar habitat that is they are both aquatic. They look so alike that for a layman both are 'fishes'. This condition where organisms belonging to different groups adapt themselves to the same environment and look and act alike, is called adaptive convergence. On the other hand, there are situations in which organisms belonging to the same or closely related groups may occupy different environments due to which they develop varied adaptations. It gives rise to diverse evolutionary lines. You know previously that house- lizard, snake, tortoise and crocodile belong to the same class, Reptilia But they look thus different from each other that one may be tempted to place them in separate classes. This circumstances in which animals belonging to same or closely related groups occupy different habitats and obtain different functional adaptations, is called adaptive divergence or adaptive radiation.


Related Discussions:- Adaptive Radiations

What is the endocrine function of the placenta, Q. What is the endocrine fu...

Q. What is the endocrine function of the placenta? The placenta is not a permanent gland of the endocrine system other than this it also has endocrinal function. The placenta p

What is smooth muscle, What is Smooth Muscle? Smooth muscle provides th...

What is Smooth Muscle? Smooth muscle provides the contractile force for movement in internal organs under control of the involuntary or autonomic nervous system. Smooth muscle

Social basis of primitive life, Social Basis of Primitive Life: In th...

Social Basis of Primitive Life: In the previous section, we gave you a glimpse of  how the primitive human beings faced the problems of day to day existence and found some so

Fatty acid breakdown, Fatty acids are a very significant adenosine triphosp...

Fatty acids are a very significant adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and source of energy for various cellular organisms. Over fatty acids, glucose and other nutrients can be stored eff

What are gonads, What are gonads? What are the male and the female gonads i...

What are gonads? What are the male and the female gonads in humans? Gonads are the organs that make gametes. They have the germ cells that undergo division and generate gametes

What is the advantage of that innovation, What is the main evolutionary inn...

What is the main evolutionary innovation presented by nematodes? What is the advantage of that innovation? The short evolutionary innovation of nematodes is the complete digest

Panting - temperature relations in animals, Normal 0 false fa...

Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Is the embryonic development in birds indirect or direct, Q. Is the embryon...

Q. Is the embryonic development in birds indirect or direct? The embryonic development is direct there is no larval stage. Q. What are the predominating chemical compounds

Explain post myocardial infarction surgery indications , Explain Post Myoca...

Explain Post Myocardial Infarction Surgery Indications ? Indications for Surgery :  Presence of ventricular septal rupture is an indication for surgery. Timing of surgery is

Discuss the concept of alpha-islet cells of the pancreas, Glycogen A. p...

Glycogen A. production in the liver increases in response to an increase in blood plasma levels of glucagon. B. is secreted by alpha-islet cells of the pancreas. C. bindi

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd