The islands of Hawaii lie approximately 3200 km from the nearest continent and so have been geographically isolated for most of their history. Nearly 800 species of fruit flies have been discovered on these islands, and molecular and anatomical data suggest that the vast majority of these species arose from a single ancestral species that colonized the Hawaiian Islands from eastern Asia. The divergence into multiple different species is an example of __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adaptive radiation is the process by which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, creates new challenges, or opens new environmental niches. The situation described for the Hawaiian fruit flies, where nearly 800 species evolved from a single ancestral species due to geographic isolation and varying environmental conditions, is a classic example of adaptive radiation.

The Islands of Hawaii Lie Approximately 3200 Km from the Nearest