AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Adaptive radiations are thought to be triggered by an ecological opportunity or a new adaptive zone. Sources of ecological opportunity can be the loss of antagonists (competitors or predators), the evolution of a key innovation or dispersal to a new environment.

Detailed explanation-2: -Adaptive radiation leads to speciation and is only used to describe living organisms. Adaptive radiation can be opportunistic or forced through changes to natural habitats.

Detailed explanation-3: -Adaptive radiation is a rapid increase in the number of species with a common ancestor, characterized by great ecological and morphological diversity. The driving force behind it is the adaptation of organisms to new ecological contexts.

Detailed explanation-4: -An adaptive radiation occurs when a single or small group of ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a large number of descendant species. Among factors that can trigger an adaptive radiation, ecological opportunity is probably foremost.