In island radiations we often see the following pattern: similar forms found in different species living in similar habitats on different islands. This pattern raises the question: did the form evolve once on a single island in a single species and then spread to multiple islands by dispersal (let’s call this the “dispersal model”)? Or did a single species first disperse to different islands, then ecologically adapt to the many different environments on each (let’s call this the “convergence model”)? A phylogeny can help us identify which of these processes is at play. Considering the three traits shown on this tree, which model appears to have more support: the dispersal model or the convergence model? Explain how you arrived at this conclusion.
1. In island radiations we often see the following pattern: similar forms found in different species living in similar habitats on different islands. This pattern raises the question: did the form evolve once on a single island in a single species and then spread to multiple islands by dispersal (let’s call this the “dispersal model”)? Or did a single species first disperse to different islands, then ecologically adapt to the many different environments on each (let’s call this the “convergence model”)? A phylogeny can help us identify which of these processes is at play. Considering the three traits shown on this tree, which model appears to have more support: the dispersal model or the convergence model? Explain how you arrived at this conclusion.
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