Australian marsupials and placental mammals on other continents produced strikingly similar ecological counterparts such as the Tasmanian wolf and the placental wolf. This pattern most directly illustrates:
A{'text': 'Divergent evolution acting within Australian marsupials alone', 'label': 'A'}
B{'text': 'Convergent evolution between two separate adaptive radiations', 'label': 'B'}
C{'text': 'Genetic drift sweeping across two isolated mammal lineages', 'label': 'C'}
D{'text': 'Coevolution between predator and prey on different continents', 'label': 'D'}
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. {'text': 'Convergent evolution between two separate adaptive radiations', 'label': 'B'}
Marsupials radiated within Australia into many forms; placentals radiated on other continents into a parallel set of forms occupying similar niches. When more than one adaptive radiation occurs in isolated geographical areas and produces lookalike forms, the overall outcome is convergent evolution between the two radiations.
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