Bio question

[Psa]

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Two species occupying similar niches will:
A) Both be driven to extinction
B) Be nocturnal
C) Evolve in a convergent direction
D) Compete for at least one resource
E) Two species will never occupy similar niches

What do you guys think the answer is?

 

[Jordwin]

D

 

[Psa]

D

Yes that's correct. Can you explain this to me? If the niche is not exactly the same but "similar", shouldn't the answer be C? Can't two species have similar niche but compete for different resources?

 

[Jordwin]

Yes that's correct. Can you explain this to me? If the niche is not exactly the same but "similar", shouldn't the answer be C? Can't two species have similar niche but compete for different resources?

It could be correct if it would have said "divergent" instead of "convergent". If they evolved with a convergent evolution, the niche overlap would be even worse.

But yes if they use different resources then the niche may eventually shift. Either that or their realized niches might grow.

Make sense? I think you may have just flipped convergent and divergent.

 

[Minion]

If two species have similar niches (similar resources in a given environment), then you would expect the two species to have an overlap of competing against the same resources. Thus, the resource would be limited.

What you are thinking is probably realized niche, where the organism would have to incorporate with the other organism in a similar niche. In that way, it would still be divergent just because it is coming from an ancestral, and the environment changes their beak size perhaps if they were competing against different seed size.

 

[Psa]

It could be correct if it would have said "divergent" instead of "convergent". If they evolved with a convergent evolution, the niche overlap would be even worse.

But yes if they use different resources then the niche may eventually shift. Either that or their realized niches might grow.

Make sense? I think you may have just flipped convergent and divergent.

Thanks. I was misinterpreting the definition of a niche.

 

[Jordwin]

Thanks. I was misinterpreting the definition of a niche.

No problem any time! Glad to help.

 

[Piepiesuperpie]

Why is the assumption that the "similar niches" are in the same environment/habitat made? For example, if you interpreted the question to be 2 niches (in different environments), then couldn't it be convergent evolution (where they both evolve homologous structures to better adapt to the niche).