divergent evolution

T… Divergent evolution refers to the process by which interbreeding species diverged into two or more evolutionary groups. These include familiar families such as capuchins and spider monkeys (family: Cebidae), marmosets (Callitrichidae), and howler monkeys (Atelidae). Diverge means ‘separated’, So when any same ancestral species get diverged or change into another new form of species is called divergent evolution. These are anatomically similar structures, which are present in the common ancestor and persist within the diverged organisms, although have evolved dissimilar functions. Having diverged from a recent common ancestor, both these species have had to adapt to their extremely different habitats. It is speculated that the two groups underwent divergent evolution as a consequence of allopatric speciation. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, The Difference Between Homology and Homoplasy. It is instructive to compare divergent evolution with both convergent and parallel evolution. One of these paths of macroevolution is called divergent evolution. A. It is generally speculated that a greater number of differences between related species indicates more time since they underwent divergence. [1] The American naturalist J. T. Gulick (1832-1923) was the first to use the term "divergent evolution",[2] with its use becoming widespread in modern evolutionary literature. It means that these groups of species used to be similar and related. One of the most famous examples of divergent evolution was observed by Charles Darwin, and documented in his book On the Origin of Species. Huskies and malamutes have very similar body size and skull shape. The common ancestor of the Old World monkeys and apes split around 25 million years ago. “Divergent Evolution.”, Biologydictionary.net Editors. Phylogenetic Relationships, Evolution, and Genetic Diversity of the Domestic Dog. Even though their overall appearances seemed to be similar and were clearly descendants of the same common ancestor, they did have different beak shapes and were no longer able to interbreed in nature. [4][5]   Non-nocturnal insects - that do not need to fear nocturnal predators - are often found to lack these tympanal ears. An example of adaptive radiation that led to divergent evolution is Charles Darwin's finches. Through divergent evolution, organisms may develop homologous structures. It is important to remember that the modern primates we see today are not evolved from each other despite their similarities (for example, great apes are not evolved from lesser apes), but that they are descended from a single common ancestor that formed two different species through divergent evolution. The tympanal ears of certain nocturnal insects are believed to be a result of needing the ultrasonic hearing that tympanal ears provide in order to hear predators in the dark. However, they became more and more dissimilar through time. In divergent evolution, a single species interbreeds, either through natural means or artificially chosen traits and selective breeding, and then that species begins to branch off and become a different species. In contrast, convergent evolution arises when an adaptation has arisen independently, creating analogous structures such as the wings of birds and of insects. The case of ‘Darwin’s Finches’ (the birds actually belong to the tanager family and are not true finches) is an example of adaptive radiation, which is a form of divergent evolution. 2011. The Arctic fox is native to Arctic regions and lives in the Arctic tundra biome of the Northern Hemisphere. The kit fox is native to Western North America, and is adapted to desert environments; it has sandy coloration, and large ears, which help it to remove excess body heat. At that time, the world’s continents were mostly connected. [7], The cliff-side nesting area itself was similarly responsible for the kittiwakes losing their mobbing mentality – predatory mammals small enough to fit on the cliff edges along with the kittiwakes and their offspring would not be able to make the climb up while predatory birds would not be able to maneuver near the cliff face while also being afflicted by the weather conditions of the area.[8]. Adaptive radiation is a common feature in archipelagos such as the Galapagos Islands and Hawaii, as well as on metaphorical ‘island habitats’ such as mountain ranges. However, the bird populations on each island differed from those on nearby islands in the shape and size of their beaks. Whales, cats, humans, and bats clearly cannot interbreed and are very different species, but the similar bone structure in the forelimbs indicate they once diverged from a common ancestor. One of the most famous examples of divergent evolution is the case of Darwin's Finches. Through gene duplication, it is possible for divergent evolution to occur between two genes within a species. From the Wild Wolf to Man’s Best Friend:An Analysis of a Hypothetical Wolf Population and the Change in Temperament, Possibly Leading to Their Domestication. Divergent evolution may also pertain to the process of tracing back two or more species to their common ancestorand knowing how these species have diversified or diverged. This is, in part, a direct result of adaptive radiation and also divergent evolution. The evolutionary path a species takes can also differ depending on the environment and other biological factors. In doing so, the genes that controlled for certain favorable aspects (e.g., longer beaks suitable for accessing nectar deep inside flowers) were spread throughout the gene pool, while the individuals without favored features died out. An example of convergent evolution is the development of horns in various species for sparring over mates, resources, and territory [9], Parallel evolution is the development of a similar trait in species descending from the same ancestor. [13] For example, malamutes and huskies are physically and behaviorally similar to wolves. Divergent evolution occurs when a group from a specific population develops into a new species. Heather Scoville is a former medical researcher and current high school science teacher who writes science curriculum for online science courses. Old Dominion University, "Divergent Evolution through Cumulative Segregation", "Unraveling the mysteries of dog evolution", http://d2oqb2vjj999su.cloudfront.net/users/000/082/618/962/attachments/Scientific%20Paper-%20Wolves%20to%20Dogs.pdf, Coloration evidence for natural selection, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Divergent_evolution&oldid=982807888, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 October 2020, at 13:35. New World monkeys evolved from Old World Monkeys C. Gorillas and Lemurs share a common ancestor D. Simians evolved from prosimians, Biologydictionary.net Editors. (2017, January 13). Divergent evolution leads to speciation, and works on the basis that there is variation within the gene pool of a population. Retrieved from https://biologydictionary.net/divergent-evolution/. Similarities between species that have diverged are due to their common origin, so such similarities are homologies. After many generations and continual evolution, the populations become less able to interbreed with one another. Divergent evolution is always coupled[clarification needed] with convergent evolution, as they are both similar and different in various facets such as whether something evolves, what evolves, and why it evolves. Divergent evolution may occur as a response to changes in abiotic factors, such as a change in environmental conditions, or when a new niche becomes available. The apes, or Hominoidea, further diverged into two groups: the lesser apes, such as gibbons (family: Hylobatidae), which are all native to Asia, and the great apes (Hominidae), which are native to Europe, Africa and Asia, and include orangutans (genus: Pongo), gorillas (Gorilla), chimpanzees (Pan) and humans (Homo). Alternatively, divergent evolution may take place in response to changes in biotic factors, such as increased or decreased pressure from competition or predation. They are often nocturnal, with body features that are considered ‘primitive’, compared to other primates. While it is a very fast type of speciation, divergent evolution generally takes more time. This is known as convergent evolution. Some Galápagos finches have larger and more powerful beaks to crack nuts with. These individuals survived and reproduced in their new habitat. Other cases of divergent evolution become necessary for survival in a changing environment. Over time as the two new different species continues to evolve, they become less and less similar. This is the process of natural selection. 5319: 1687-1689, Romanchik, J. The mobbing behavior was originally developed to protect ground-level nests containing young from various predators such as reptiles, mammals and other birds. There are many different ways that evolution can happen in a population including both artificial selection and natural selection. Science 13 Vol. Crandall, J. Lundeberg, and R.K. Wayne. Even though whales, cats, humans, and bats all are very different morphologically and in the niches they fill in their environments, the bones of the forelimbs of these different species are a great example of divergent evolution. A different type allows the bird to use cactus spines to spear insects in the bark of trees. A lack of predators – predatory birds and mammals - for cliff-side nest residing kittiwake caused that particular group of kittiwake to lose their ancestral mobbing behavior that had been exhibited up until that point for protecting young. Classic examples of divergence in nature are the adaptive radiation of the finches of the Galapagos or the coloration differences in populations of a species that live in different habitats such as with pocket mice and fence lizards.[3]. When the ancestral form of finches initially colonized each island, each group contained individuals who were able to better adapt to the conditions and the available food source. An example of parallel evolution is that certain arboreal frog species, 'flying' frogs, in both Old World families and New World families, have developed the ability of gliding flight. Another good example of divergent evolution is the origin of the domestic dog and the modern wolf. This lack of interbreeding and the different niches the finches had filled on the Galapagos Islands led the populations to become less and less similar over time. Biologydictionary.net Editors. In other words, they have diverged. Multiple and Ancient Origins of the Domestic Dog. They evolved flat noses and prehensile tails, which act as a fifth limb and have the ability to grasp on to trees and branches. The changes in beak shape and size were believed to be required to support their change in diet. These changes make it necessary for the species to adapt and change in order to survive. Divergent evolution or divergent selection is the accumulation of differences between closely related populations within a species, leading to speciation. Differences may be minor, such as the change in shape, size or function of only one structure, or they may be more pronounced and numerous, resulting in a completely different body structure or phenotype.

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