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Biology Articles, Tutorials & Dictionary Online

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Divergent evolution
n., [daɪˈvɜːdʒənt ˌɛvəˈluʃ(ə)n]
Definition: Evolution wherein a common ancestral group diverged into two or more evolutionary groups

Divergent Evolution Definition

Divergent evolution refers to the process by which interbreeding species diverged into two or more evolutionary groups. It means that these groups of species used to be similar and related. However, they became more and more dissimilar through time. Divergent evolution may also pertain to the process of tracing back two or more species to their common ancestor and knowing how these species have diversified or diverged. Divergent evolution is one of the three types of evolutionary patterns; the other two are convergent and parallel. The evolution of species is largely influenced by environmental factors and predation activities. Galapagos finches diverging from their descendant species is one of the most commonly cited examples of divergent evolution.

Etymology:
Divergent ecolution presumably was coined by an American missionary and naturalist, John Thomas Gulick. The term divergent came from Latin divergentem, from divergere, meaning "go in different directions". Evolution, in turn, came from Latin evolutionem, from evolvere, meaning "to unroll".

Synonyms:
divergence; divergent selection

Find out how divergence leads to allopatric speciation and not sympatric speciation. Join us and participate in our Forum discussion: Sympatric vs allopatric speciation

Divergent Evolution vs. Convergent Evolution

The type of evolution where species gradually become increasingly different from their ancestors is called divergent evolution. It differs from convergent evolution in the way that unrelated groups of species evolve analogous structures in spite of their evolutionary ancestors being very distant or unrelated.

Analogous structures refer to biological structures with comparable functions and yet they differ in regard to the developmental origin and anatomical features. In divergent evolution, species from a common ancestral origin evolve similar anatomical parts (called homologous structures) but with dissimilar functions.

One possible cause of divergent evolution is migration. When species migrates to a new habitat, it is confronted with new environmental conditions, and, therefore, it tends to evolve novel traits that make it better adapted to its new habitat. The evolution of the so-called Darwin finches is an example.

In convergent evolution, the chief driving force is environmental pressure. Species, although unrelated, tend to evolve traits that make them suited to their respective habitats. An example is the wings of insects, birds, and bats. For more on the differences and similarities between convergent and divergent, see the table below.

Comparison Between Divergent Evolution and Convergent Evolution

Divergent evolution

Convergent evolution

An evolutionary pattern

An evolutionary pattern

Species gradually become different from their ancestors

Unrelated species evolve similar structures

Evolution resulted in multiple different species, leading to speciation

Evolution resulted in unrelated species with similar characteristics

Homologous structure development

Analogous structure development

Caused by environmental changes, migration

Caused by environmental changes

Another name for divergent evolution is divergent selection

Also called convergence

Example: Darwin's finches

Example: wings of insects, birds, and bats

Discover more examples of speciation associated with divergent evolution here: Sympatric vs allopatric speciation. Join us in our Forum now!

Divergent Evolution vs. Parallel Evolution

While species in divergent evolution essentially diverge and in convergent evolution merges, species in parallel evolution tend to evolve structures parallel to other species within the same environment. Similar to convergent evolution, the traits in parallel evolution evolved in species that are not evolutionary related.

The difference is that in parallel evolution the unrelated species evolved a similar mechanism to adapt to the same environmental conditions. In convergent evolution, unrelated species do not necessarily live in the same environment.

Parallel evolution differs from divergent evolution in fairly the same way as convergent evolution does. Both parallel and convergent evolution are associated with species from different evolutionary lineages. In divergent evolution, it is an evolution of a species that diverges from its ancestors.

Divergent Evolution vs. Adaptive Radiation

Adaptive radiation is defined as the process whereby several new species from a recent ancestral source diversify. Each of these species is adapted to utilize or occupy a vacant adaptive zone. This zone, thus, serves as an ecological opportunity for certain groups of organisms to diversify into different forms, often, in a rapid process.

Similar to divergent evolution, adaptive radiation leads to speciation and is likewise exemplified by Darwin's Galapagos finches. However, the two concepts differ in the way that adaptive radiation deals more with small-scale evolution over a shorter span of time whereas divergent evolution looks through the evolution of species diverging from their ancestors over a relatively long span of time. Nevertheless, adaptive radiation may lead to divergent evolution over time as the species become more and more distinct from its ancestors.

Cause of Speciation

Divergent evolution occurs when a subgroup of a species evolves traits different from its ancestors. The trait usually sprung from selective pressures. Such pressures drive natural selection and compel organisms to evolve. Selective pressures may be biotic or abiotic. Biotic pressures are living factors in the environment, e.g. predation and competition. Abiotic pressures include non-living environmental factors, such as light, soil, and wind.

Learn more about speciation. Know the difference: Sympatric vs allopatric speciation. Join our Forum and let's discuss!

Importance

In divergent evolution, homologous structures are structures indicating a species is diverging from its ancestor. These structures need not have the same function as those of the species' ancestors. For example, the forelimbs of humans and bats are homologous structures. Although they are used differently, the basic skeletal structure is the same and they are derived from the same embryonic origin. Their similarity in this regard could indicate plausible evolution from a common ancestor.

This shows that divergent evolution allows species with common ancestral origin to be able to adapt to their own habitats. Thus, it is likely to ease competition among them since they evolve traits that make them explicitly suited to their habitat and ecological niche.

Divergent evolution also helps in promoting biodiversity. Since it leads to speciation, it could lead to a wide range of different organisms thriving in diverse habitats.

Examples

A prototype example of divergent evolution is Galapagos finches. Charles Darwin's Beagle voyage led him to conclude that the finches diverged from their descendant species. While the birds share common features with their ancestors, they eventually developed structures that made them morphologically different from their descendants. For instance, they developed beaks that differ in shape and size to make them better adapted to their diet.

The more structural differences there are the greater the breadth of species divergence. Other examples of divergent evolution are as follows:

A flock of births migrating and settling on a new island. Over time, this group becomes more adapted by developing new characteristics to enable them to survive in their new habitat. Thus, they become a different species from their ancestors and what was once one species has diverged into two.

The diversity of the orchids where orchid species evolved differing traits (e.g. floral types)

Peccaries (Tayasuidae) that diverged from the true pigs (Suidae) about 40 million years ago

The evolution of humans and apes from a common primate ancestor

Watch this vid on divergent evolution: Answer the quiz below to check what you have learned so far about divergent evolution.
Further Reading

References

1. BIOdotEDU. (2019). Retrieved from Cuny.edu website: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/ahp/LAD/C3/C3_elecEnergy.html

2. Evidence Supporting Biological Evolution. (1999). Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences, Second Edition. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/6024/chapter/4#14

3. National Academy of Sciences and Steering Committee on Science and Creationism. Darwin's Evidence for Evolution. (2019). Retrieved from Nyu.edu website: http://www.nyu.edu/projects/fitch/courses/evolution/html/evidence.html

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Divergent evolution - Definition and Examples - Biology Online Dictionary

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Divergent evolution n., [daɪˈvɜːdʒənt ˌɛvəˈluʃ(ə)n] Definition: Evolution wherein a common ancestral group diverged into two or more evolutionary groups Divergent evolution refers to the process by which interbreeding species diverged into two or more evolutionary groups. It means that these groups of species used to be similar and related.

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Divergent, Parallel, Convergent Evolution 

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Divergent, Parallel, Convergent Evolution 

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Divergent: A group of species that used to be similar but became less similar over time.
Parallel: Two or more species that live in the same environment develop similar traits.
Convergent: Where organisms not close related evolve similar traits on their own as a result of adapting.

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Small errors in DNA code during cellular reproduction

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Opabinia Regalis was a soft-bodied, cephalopod-like creature that lived during the Cambrian period. It was a very small creature only measuring a few centimeters in length.

The Opabinia is considered one of the strangest looking creatures to have ever lived, with a long, slender body and five eyes arranged on stalks.

The world during the time of the Opabinia Regalis was a very different place than it is today. The planet was almost entirely covered in ocean, with only a few small islands dotted here and there.

The land that did exist was largely uninhabitable, as it was mostly barren rock with no vegetation. The seas were teeming with strange and wonderful creatures, many of which were unlike anything that exists today.

The Opabinia Regalis was just one of the many strange and wonderful creatures that lived during this time period.

Photo: dottedhippo via Getty Images

The Opabinia Regalis belongs to the family Otocephalidae, which is a group of extinct animals that lived during the Cambrian period. The family includes other strange creatures such as Anomalocaris and Wiwaxia.

The Opabinia Regalis had five eyes, which is one of the most distinctive features of this creature. Three of the eyes were located on top of the head, while the other two were situated on stalks in front of the main body.

The function of these eyes is not known for sure, but it is thought that they may have been used to help the Opabinia Regalis find food.

The eyes of the Opabinia Regalis were just one of the many strange and wonderful features of this creature.

Scientists believe that the Otocephalidae were related to the modern-day horseshoe crab. However, it is still not clear how exactly they are related.

It also had a pair of claw-like appendages at the end of its body, which it may have used to capture prey.

Opabinia was first discovered in the Burgess Shale in British Columbia, Canada. This fossil deposit is world-famous for its abundance of strange and wonderful creatures from the Cambrian period.

Opabinia is just one of the many oddities that have been found in the Burgess Shale. Despite its strange appearance, Opabinia was a successful creature during its time on Earth.

It thrived in the Cambrian seas for millions of years before eventually disappearing from the fossil record.

Scientists are not sure what exactly caused the Opabinia Regalis to go extinct, but there are a few theories. One theory is that the changing environmental conditions made it difficult for the creature to survive.

Another theory suggests that other animals may have competed with the Opabinia Regalis for food and resources, causing it to go extinct.

Opabinia is one of the most fascinating creatures from the Cambrian period, and its discovery has helped scientists to better understand the strange world of early animal life.

Opabinia Regalis lived during the Cambrian period, which lasted from around 540 to 520 million years ago. The exact lifespan of the Opabinia Regalis is unknown, but it is thought to have lived for a few million years before going extinct.

Opabinia Regalis vs Anomalocaris

The Opabinia Regalis was often confused with another strange creature from the Cambrian period, known as the Anomalocaris. These two creatures were similar in size and appearance, and both had long, claw-like appendages.

However, there are some key differences between the two creatures. The most notable difference is that the Opabinia Regalis had five eyes, while the Anomalocaris only had two.

The Opabinia Regalis and the Anomalocaris were two of the many strange and wonderful creatures that lived during the Cambrian period.

Diet

Opabinia Regalis was a carnivore, meaning that it ate other animals. It likely fed on small invertebrates that lived in the Cambrian seas. Scientists are not sure exactly how the Opabinia Regalis captured its prey, but it is thought that it used its claw-like appendages to snag them.

Reproduction

Opabinia Regalis was asexual, meaning that it did not need a mate to reproduce. It likely reproduced by fragmentation, which is when an animal breaks apart into smaller pieces and each piece grows into a new individual.

Some scientists believe that the Opabinia Regalis may have also reproduced by budding, which is when a small, undeveloped individual grows on the body of the parent.

Extinction

The Opabinia Regalis went extinct during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, which was the largest mass extinction in Earth's history. This event occurred around 252 million years ago and wiped out more than 90% of all species on Earth.

Scientists are not exactly sure what caused this mass extinction, but it is thought that a combination of environmental changes and volcanic activity may have been to blame. The Opabinia Regalis was one of the many creatures that perished during this event, and it has not been seen since.

The Opabinia might be extinct but the Opabinia Regalis Soft Stuffed Plush Toy is as close as it gets. Made with cotton material, this plush toy replicates all the Opabinia features including five eyes. The good news is that you even get almost the exact size around 63 cm.
Gage Beasley's Opabinia Regalis Soft Stuffed Plush Toy
Fossil Remains

The best place to find Opabinia Regalis fossils is in the Burgess Shale in British Columbia, Canada. This fossil deposit is world-famous for its abundance of strange and wonderful creatures from the Cambrian period.

Opabinia is just one of the many oddities that have been found in the Burgess Shale. If you're interested in seeing the fossil remains of this fascinating creature, be sure to pay a visit to the Burgess Shale when you have the chance!

These fossil deposits are famous for their abundance of Cambrian period creatures, and the Opabinia Regalis is just one of many strange and wonderful creatures that have been found in them.

Final Thoughts

The Opabinia Regalis is a fascinating creature that can teach us a lot about the strange world of early animal life. Its discovery has helped scientists to better understand the Cambrian period, and what Earth was like millions of years ago.

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All About the Opabinia Regalis: The Five-Eyed Creature

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What a creature this was, that's what I'm sure of. The Opabinia Regalis is a sort of elephant-spider-cephalopod hybrid that roamed underwater millions of years ago. Though it does look a little weird, it showed how life was underwater back then. Learn more about these critters here!

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Scientist are not exactly sure what happened. But there is a couple of theories. One is that the changing environment conditions made it to difficult for the creature so survive. Another one is that this creature may have had to compete with other creatures for food causing it to go extinct.

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Opabinia was first discovered in the Burgess Shale in British Columbia, Canada. It was a very successful creature that lived in the Cambrian seas for millions of years. At this time the Earth was mostly ocean with only a few islands.

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Five-eyed shrimp that swam the oceans over 500 million years ago could be the 'missing link' in the origin of arthropods, fossil reveals

Researchers found the creature in rock formations in the Yunnan Province, China

It has been named Kylinxia zhangi and contains features of many other creatures

Kylinxia is now the first of the arthropods that include insects and crustaceans

It has been placed at the foot of the arthropod family tree as it was the first of that kind to be discovered, dating back to more than 500 million years ago

A type of shrimp with five eyes that swam the oceans of Earth half a billion years ago may be the 'missing link' in the evolution of arthropods, scientists claim.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered the three inch long creature, that dates back 520 million years, in a rock formation in Yunnan Province.

Arthropods, including insects, spiders and crustaceans, are the most successful animals on Earth, making up almost 80 percent of all species found on the planet.

The new species has been placed at the foot of the arthropod family tree - being the oldest ever found and has been named Kylinxia zhangi by the team that found it.

Until Kylinxia was discovered there had been a 'missing' creature in the evolutionary record with the features of the arthropod precursors and true arthropods.

The newly discovered 'shrimp' looks like it has been put together using the parts of other animals, say palaeontologists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Six shrimp-sized fossils were dug up at a rock formation in Yunnan Province, south west China, and they combine features from different arthropods of the early Cambrian period, according to the team behind the study.

These include five compound eyes popping out of stalks on their head, like an enigmatic primitive shrimp called Opabinia regalis.

They also had two large claws at the front of the body for seizing prey, as seen in a monster six foot arthropod known as Anomalocaris.

Meanwhile, the body structure is similar to those of another group of extinct predatory arthropods, the Megacheira.

The origin of arthropods have puzzled generations of scientists for more than a century, but Kylinxia, named after the Chinese word for Shrimp, could be the missing piece of the puzzle, according to corresponding author Professor Huang Diying.

He said Kylinxia is a very rare chimeric species that combines features from a range of different animals - similar to a kylin, a chimera creature from Chinese mythology.

Kylinxia also shows distinctive features of true arthropods such as a hardened cuticle, a segmented trunk and jointed legs.

Co-corresponding author Zhao Fangchen said: 'Owing to very special taphonomic conditions, the Kylinxia fossils exhibit exquisite anatomical structures.

'For example, nervous tissue, eyes and digestive system - these are soft body parts we usually cannot see in conventional fossils.'

Anomalocaris was the largest animal in the Cambrian seas. It had formidable grasping claws, which allowed it to grab its prey and pull it into its mouth. Lacking legs, it must have swum in open water.

But huge morphological differences exist between Anomalocaris and true arthropods that are seen around the world today, explained Zhao.

There is a great evolutionary gap between the two that can hardly be bridged. This gap has become a crucial 'missing link' in the origin of arthropods.

The research team conducted detailed anatomical examinations of the fossils of Kylinxia and combined them with Anomalocaris and true arthropods such as spiders, scorpions, ants and bees.

Co author Zhu Maoyan said: 'Our results indicate the evolutionary placement of Kylinxia is right between Anomalocaris and the true arthropods.

'Therefore, our finding reached the evolutionary root of the true arthropods.'

The arthropods have diversified spectacularly since - but these inventions from the Cambrian have been retained all the way through.

First author Dr Zeng Han said: 'Kylinxia represents a crucial transitional fossil predicted by Darwin's evolutionary theory.

'It bridges the evolutionary gap from Anomalocaris to true arthropods and forms a key 'missing link' in the origin of arthropods, contributing strong fossil evidence for the evolutionary theory of life.'

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Five-eyed shrimp from 500 million years ago could be 'missing link'

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Researchers found the creature in rock formations in the Yunnan Province, China It has been named Kylinxia zhangi and contains features of many other creatures Kylinxia is now the first of the arthropods that include insects and crustaceans It has been placed at the foot of the arthropod family tree as it was the first of that kind to be discovered, dating back to more than 500 million years ago A type of shrimp with five eyes that swam the oceans of Earth half a billion years ago may be the 'missing link' in the evolution of arthropods, scientists claim.

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Their evolution has remained a long mystery.
Their ancient ancestors carry a variety of features that their modern counterparts do not. And they are a shrimp like creature. Scientist believe it is the missing link in the arthropods family tree.

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Differences in molecular similarities.

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Organisms during embryological developments go through their evolutionary stages.

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structures in some organisms that seem to have no use in one species but are useful in another.

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Parts that are similar in structure but have different used in different species.

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Happens in small groups variation of relative frequency.

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Passing of genetic info that is influenced by female choice and male competition.

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This is when genes are transferred from one population to another.

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Species die out.

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VIST is an acronym that stands for
V-variation
I-inheritance
S-selection
T-time

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They are shrouded a evolutionary mystery because of the lack of fossils. But we do know it was a swimmer in the oceans over 500 million years ago.

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It is soft bodied and can be as long as 7 cm. Has a fan shaped tail and a trunk. It has 5 eyes and a mouth under the head that is facing backwards.