Silverswords had no tree and shrub competitors prior to recent human ecological disturbance to the Hawaiian Islands.Descended from a tarweed ancestor that evolved in an environment with many tree and shrub species, its arrival on the islands represented a(n) _______because of a(n)_______.

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Silverswords underwent an evolutionary radiation upon their arrival in the Hawaiian Islands due to the availability of a variety of open ecological niches. This means they diversified into multiple species to fill different roles in the ecosystem, a process facilitated by the lack of competition from other tree and shrub species.

Silverswords Had No Tree and Shrub Competitors Prior to Recent