Unrelated lineages of rodents that moved to islands have increased in size relative to close relatives that are on the mainland.This increase in size is an example of _______ which is a type of _______.
A) evolutionary reversal; homoplasy
B) evolutionary reversal; synapomorphy
C) convergent evolution; homoplasy
D) convergent evolution; evolutionary reversal
E) convergent evolution; synapomorphy

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the scenario is an example of convergent evolution, as distinct lineages of rodents on different islands evolved similar increases in size. This is a case of homoplasy, as the similarity in size was not due to a shared evolutionary history (synapomorphy), but rather due to convergent evolution. The other options are incorrect, as evolutionary reversal refers to the reversion of a species to an ancestral trait and is not applicable here, and synapomorphy refers to a shared derived trait that evolved in a common ancestor, which also does not apply in this scenario.

Unrelated Lineages of Rodents That Moved to Islands Have Increased