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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation in biology, the evolution of an ancestral species, which was adapted to a particular way of life, into many diverse species, each adapted to a different habitat. Adaptive radiation has occurred in the evolution of many groups of organisms, and is clearly illustrated by Hawaiian honey-creepers (see illustration) . Another example is shown in Darwin's finches, 14 species of small land birds of the Galápagos Islands. All the finches derive from a single species of ground-dwelling, seed-eating finch that probably emigrated from the South American mainland. Because the environmental niches, or habitats, were unoccupied on the isolated islands, the ancestral stock was able to differentiate into diverse species; 3 species are ground-dwelling seedeaters, 3 live on cactus plants and are seedeaters, 1 is a tree-dwelling seedeater, and 7 are tree-dwelling insecteaters. See also competition . |
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"adaptive radiation." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "adaptive radiation." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-adaptive.html "adaptive radiation." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-adaptive.html |
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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation (divergent evolution) The evolution from one species of animals or plants of a number of different forms. As the original population increases in size it spreads out from its centre of origin to exploit new habitats and food sources. In time this results in a number of populations each adapted to its particular habitat: eventually these populations will differ from each other sufficiently to become new species. A good example of this process is the evolution of the Australian marsupials into species adapted as carnivores, herbivores, burrowers, fliers, etc. On a smaller scale, the adaptive radiation of the Galapagos finches provided Darwin with crucial evidence for his theory of evolution (see Darwin's finches).
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"adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-adaptiveradiation.html "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-adaptiveradiation.html |
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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation
1. A burst of evolution, with rapid divergence from a single ancestral form, that results from the exploitation of an array of habitats. The term is applied at many taxonomic levels (e.g. the radiation of the mammals at the base of the Cenozoic is of ordinal status, whereas the radiation of ‘Darwin's finches’ in the Galápagos Islands resulted in a proliferation of species). 2. A term used synonymously with cladogenesis by some authors. (Such a use is misleading, because cladogenesis involves the division of one species into two and adaptive radiation imposes no such constraint.) |
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-adaptiveradiation.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-adaptiveradiation.html |
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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation In biology, the evolution of different forms of living organisms from a common ancestral stock, as different populations adapt to different environmental conditions or modes of life. Eventually, the populations may become so different that they constitute separate species. Examples are the many different kinds of finches found on the Galápagos Islands, which diversified to specialize in different kinds of food, feeding methods, and habitats. See also adaptation
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"adaptive radiation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "adaptive radiation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-adaptiveradiation.html "adaptive radiation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-adaptiveradiation.html |
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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation
1. A burst of evolution, with rapid divergence from a single ancestral form, resulting in the exploitation of an array of habitats. The term is applied at many taxonomic levels, e.g. the radiation of the mammals at the base of the Cenozoic refers to orders, whereas the radiation of ‘Darwin's finches’ in the Galápagos Islands resulted in a proliferation of species. 2. Term used synonymously with ‘cladogenesis’ by some authors . |
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Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-adaptiveradiation.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-adaptiveradiation.html |
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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation
1. A burst of evolution, with rapid divergence from a single ancestral form, that results from the exploitation of an array of habitats. The term is applied at many taxonomic levels (e.g. the radiation of the mammals at the base of the Cenozoic is of ordinal status, whereas the radiation of Darwin's finches in the Galápagos Islands resulted in a proliferation of species). 2. Term used synonymously with cladogenesis by some authors. |
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-adaptiveradiation.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-adaptiveradiation.html |
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adaptive radiation
adaptive radiation
1. A burst of evolution, with rapid divergence from a single ancestral form, resulting in the exploitation of an array of habitats. The term is applied at many taxonomic levels. 2. A term used as a synonym for cladogenesis by some authors. |
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-adaptiveradiation.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "adaptive radiation." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-adaptiveradiation.html |
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