∞ generated and posted on 2023.05.22 ∞
Evolutionary as well as phenotypic diversification of a lineage of organisms.
| Adaptive Radiation is how we get more species, or more subspecies, from fewer species (or subspecies), though also which are adapted to different environmental conditions rather than having only diverged genetically. |
Adaptive radiations are typically marked by ecological and morphological as well as additional aspects of phenotypic diversification. See also phylogenic diversity as well as biodiversity.
For divergence between lineages to occur to a substantial extent, then speciation is necessary as well. Thus, starting with a single ancestor species, what one observes with adaptive radiation is an increase in the number descendant species (cladogenesis), an increase in the phenotypic diversity of these related species, and also an increase in the number of niches exploited by that lineage.
Examples of adaptive radiations can be seen in numerous lineages including those that gave rise to horses along with those that gave rise to ourselves or apes See also adaptive zone.