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ADAPTIVE RADIATION IN MAMMALS WITH RAFERANCE TO LOCOMOTORY
APPENDAGES :
During Mesozoic era, the age of reptiles (dinosaurs), mammals were small, generalised and
rare. By the end of Mesozoic or beginning of Coenozoic, the dinosaurs vanished and
mammals suddenly expanded into varied evolutionary patterns. Early in Cretaceous period,
placental mammals became distinct from marsupials.
During Eocene and Oligocene, most of the orders of mammals originated moving into
habitats and ecological niches vacated by the extinct dinosaurs. This evolution from a single
ancestral species to a variety of forms which occupy different habitats is called adaptive
radiation or divergent evolution.
The concept of adaptive radiation in evolution was developed by H.F. Osborn in 1898.
Examples often given as evidence include Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands, varied
limb structure of mammals, Australian Marsupials, etc.
Radiation in Limb Structure of Mammals:
Mammalian limbs are the modifications of the pentadactyl limb. Primitive, ancestral
mammals are believed to have been short legged five fingered creatures living on the ground.
Their limbs were not modified for any particular type of locomotion. These animals were
terrestrial. These terrestrial ancestors formed the ancestors of modern mammals.
Therefore, adaptive radiation occurred in five different lines or habitats with modifications
in their limb structure.
From these terrestrial mammals the different lines radiated in the following
manner:
1. One evolutionary line radiates to form arboreal forms which have adapted limbs for life in
trees (e.g., squirrels, sloths, monkeys, etc.).
2. Another line leads to aerial representing mammals adapted for flight (e.g:bats) Only bats
occupy the position at the terminus of this line, since they are the only truely flying
mammals Somewhere along this line we can place for gliding mammals such as “flying
squirrel. ”
The arboreal and aerial forms not arose independently from the terrestrial forms as shown
in the diagram It is believed that the ancestral aerial forms were previously lived in trees
having gliding type of locomotion which later gave rise to true flight. Hence, perhaps the
gliding formed transitional type of locomotion between climbing and true flight.
3. Third line of radiation gave rise to cursorial forms (e.g., horses and antelopes). They have
developed limbs suitable to rapid movements over the surface of the ground. Along this line
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also developed other mammals with less strongly modified limbs, such as wolves, foxes,
hyaenas, lions.
4. Fourth line of radiation formed the burrowing mammals, the fossorial mammals. Some
of the fossorial mammals, like the moles, have modified their forelimbs for digging but they
are poorly adapted for locomotion on the ground. While others like pocket gophers and
badgers are expert diggers but they have retained structures enabling them to move readily
on the surface of ground.
5. Fifth line of radiation leads to the aquatic mammals. The adaptations are described
below-
(i) Whales and porpoises having limbs strongly adapted for aquatic life, but they
cannot move about on land.
(ii) While seals, sea lions and walruses have also strongly modified limbs for aquatic
life but they are also able to move about on land.
(iii) The third group includes accomplished swimmers such as others and polar bears
which are equally at home in water or on land.
Thus, all the mammals of different radiating lines have limbs more or less adapted for some
particular mode of locomotion. All the lines start from a common centre representing the
short, pentadactyl limbs of terrestrial mammals. From the centre, evolutionary lines radiate
out in various directions. Hence, adaptive radiation is evolution in several directions
starting from a common ancestral type.
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