Evolution — BIOLOGY STD 12 Science — Question

Divergent evolution is the evolution of a number of different forms of animals or plants froms of a common ancestral form. The driving force behind, it is adaptations to newly involved habitat and the prevailing environmental conditions there. As the original population increases in size, it spreads out from its centre of origin to exploit new habitas and food resources. In 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. Another example is that of peritadactyl limb in mammals.