13
QuizMultiple Choice

Human Impact on the Environment — Cumulative exam

Question 13 • SC332 Environmental Science B

Which of the following is an example of adaptive radiation?

Answer
A
One population of squirrels becomes two separate species over a long time.
B
One population of lizards forms 15 separate species over a short time.
C
One species of birds becomes better suited to its environment over time.
D
One species of fish forms when two species of fish begin to breed with each other.

Explanation

Adaptive radiation occurs when one ancestral species rapidly diversifies into many species, often as populations adapt to different ecological niches. The lizards forming 15 separate species over a short time is an example of this. A describes the formation of only two species, C describes adaptation within one species, and D describes hybridization.

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