Destroyer BIO #30

[RT0223]

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Please explain the different btw polymorphic variation and adaptive radiation?

I thought both of them meant the same thing. adaptive radiation also produce species in different forms just like poly(many) morphic(forms). very confusing!

 

[RT0223]

oh, com'on guys, plz help out...

 

[Ferdowsi]

Please explain the different btw polymorphic variation and adaptive radiation?

I thought both of them meant the same thing. adaptive radiation also produce species in different forms just like poly(many) morphic(forms). very confusing!

I'm not sure if I have this right. But polymorphic variation is when you have a rare form within a species with higher frequency.
On the other hand, adaptive radiation is a evolutionary process where you acquire certain figure by natural selection. Hope that helps.

 

[RT0223]

thanks Ferdowsi. but what do you mean by higher frequency. could you give me an example?

 

[NuckingFutz]

From wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphism_(biology)

Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species where the frequency of the rarer form/s is greater than can be maintained by recurrent mutation alone — in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph where the rarer one has an occurrence rate of at least 1% in the population. The caste system in ants is an example.

Adaptive radiation is when lots of different species arise from one common ancestor (thus you can visualize one starting point and have lines RADIATING outwards).