Overview
Adaptive radiation is a fascinating evolutionary process where a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a variety of forms to fill different ecological niches. This phenomenon often occurs when species colonize new environments, leading to the emergence of new species that are uniquely ad...
Key Terms
Example: The Galápagos finches are an example of speciation due to adaptive radiation.
Example: A bee's niche includes pollinating flowers and providing food for other animals.
Example: Peppered moths changing color during the Industrial Revolution is a classic example.
Example: The diversification of mammals after the dinosaurs went extinct.
Example: The long neck of a giraffe is an adaptive trait for reaching high leaves.
Example: Evolutionary biology helps explain how species adapt through adaptive radiation.