Adaptive Radiation | Definition, Examples, & Facts - Britannica

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Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: multiple divergence Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot

adaptive radiation, evolution of an animal or plant group into a wide variety of types adapted to specialized modes of life. Adaptive radiations are best exemplified in closely related groups that have evolved in a relatively short time. A striking example is the radiation, beginning in the Paleogene Period (beginning 66 million years ago), of basal mammalian stock into forms adapted to running, leaping, climbing, swimming, and flying. Other examples include Australian marsupials, cichlid fish, and Darwin’s finches (also known as Galapagos finches).

Key People: Henry Fairfield Osborn (Show more) Related Topics: divergence (Show more) See all related content

Many examples of speciation by adaptive radiation are found in archipelagoes removed from the mainland. In addition to the Galapagos Islands, the Hawaiian archipelago, with its several volcanic islands and relatively small total land area, hosts an astounding number of plant and animal species that are endemic; that is, they have evolved there and are found nowhere else. More than 90 percent of the native species of Hawaiian flowering plants, land mollusks, birds, and insects are endemic.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.