Which one of the following is not an example of adaptive radiation of marsupials?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Lemur
Adaptive radiation means that many different species evolve from one ancestral stock in one area, each suited to a different habitat. The Australian marsupials are an example. These are pouched mammals that spread into many forms within Australia.
(1) Tasmanian wolf — A marsupial of the Australian radiation. It is one of the marsupials of Australia.
(2) Bandicoot — A marsupial of the Australian radiation. It is one of the marsupials of Australia.
(3) Wombat — A marsupial of the Australian radiation. It is one of the marsupials of Australia.
(4) Lemur — Not a marsupial. The lemur is a placental mammal, a primate of Madagascar. It has no pouch and did not come from the Australian marsupial stock.
NCERT Extract:
Adaptive Radiation – “… Another example is Australian marsupials. A number of marsupials, each different from the other (Figure 6.6) evolved from an ancestral stock, but all within the Australian island continent.”
