adaptive radiation

American  

noun

Biology.

1. the diversification of an ancestral group of organisms into a variety of related forms specialized to fit different environments or ways of life, each often further diversifying into more specialized types.

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adaptive radiation British  

noun

1. evolution of a number of divergent species from a common ancestor, each species becoming adapted to occupy a different environment. This type of evolution occurred in the Tertiary manuals and the Mesozoic reptiles

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adaptive radiation Scientific  

/ ə-dăp′tĭv /

1. The evolutionary diversification of a species or single ancestral lineage into various forms that are each adaptively specialized to a specific environmental niche. Adaptive radiation generally proceeds most rapidly in environments where there are numerous unoccupied niches or where competition for resources is minimal.

2. See Note at adaptation

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Etymology

Origin of adaptive radiation

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Adaptive radiation occurs when a single ancestral species gives rise to many new species.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022