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RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ADAPTIVE RADIATION, SPECIATION AND MAJOR EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS
Author(s) -
Stebbins G. L.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.2307/1218529
Subject(s) - adaptive radiation , biology , biological dispersal , genetic algorithm , germination , diversification (marketing strategy) , ecological niche , seed dispersal , niche , evolutionary biology , ecology , competition (biology) , adaptive strategies , botany , phylogenetics , habitat , geography , population , biochemistry , demography , archaeology , marketing , sociology , gene , business
Summary In animals, adaptive radiation at the level of species is based to a large extent upon adaptations to survival in different climates, as well as to the occupation of different ecological niches in similar communities. In plants, adaptive radiation at the species level, as well as the origin of higher categories, depends to a large extent upon diversification of the methods of reproduction, both pollination and seed dispersal, as well as seed germination and the establishment of seedlings. With respect to the latter, evolutionary success depends to a large extent upon solution of three often conflicting problems: protection of the developing seed, dispersal to a new but similar location; and germination with sufficient seedling vigor to survive competition. In plants, the origin of higher categories is not associated with the appearance of distinctive characters that never serve to distinguish species. Evolutionary progress, here regarded as an increase in the amount and diversity of DNA‐coded information, is based upon the bias in favor of mutations that increase rather than reduce the amount of genetic information already present.