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Australian marsupials and placental mammals are suitable examples of adaptive radiation and convergent evolution. Explain giving reasons.

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In evolutionary biology, adaptive radiation is a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, creates new challenges, or opens new environmental niches. In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches.
Placental mammals that are present in Australia also exhibit adaptive radiation in evolving into varieties of such placental mammals each of which appears to be ‘similar’ to a corresponding marsupial.

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Similar Questions
Q1
Australian marsupials and placental mammals are suitable examples of adaptive radiation and convergent evolution. Explain giving reasons.
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Q2
Which of these are examples of evolution by anthropogenic action?
(i) Adaptive radiation of marsupials of Australia.
(ii) Appearance of antibiotic resistant microbes.
(iii) Evolution of finches in Galapagos islands.
(iv) Appearance of dark winged moth in England during post industrialisation period.
(v) Convergent evolution of placental mammals in Australia.
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Q3
What is adaptive radiation? Explain it with reference to Australian marsupials. Can this fauna indicate its parallel evolution with placental mammals? How do you explain their geographic distribution?
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Q4
Which of the following are the examples of adaptive radiation?


A. Wombat, marsupial rat, Flying phalanges

B. ‘Darwin's finches

C. Different placenta! mammals in Australia

D. Placental wolf and Tasmanian wolf
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Q5
Statement I: Analogous organs are the result of convergent evolution.
Statement II: Insect wing and bird wing are homologous organs.
Statement III: The marsupials in Australia and South America are examples of parallel evolution.
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