Question: 145. The flippers of the Penguins and Dolphins are the example of the
(1) Adaptive radiation
(2) Natural selection
(3) Convergent evolution
(4) Divergent evolution
Answer: Option (3)
Explanation:
Penguins are birds, while dolphins are mammals, so they belong to different evolutionary lineages.
Their flippers perform the same function of swimming and movement in water but have originated from different ancestral structures.
Such structures are called analogous organs because they have similar functions but different origins.
The evolution of similar functional features in unrelated organisms due to similar environmental pressures is known as convergent evolution.
Hence, the flippers of penguins and dolphins are an example of convergent evolution.