How is marsupial radiation an example of convergent evolution?

Just google search “convergent evolution marsupials". There are hits from the search that show marsupial and placental animals that evolved to occupy equivalent roles to each other. read more

Just google search “convergent evolution marsupials". There are hits from the search that show marsupial and placental animals that evolved to occupy equivalent roles to each other. read more

invaded South America and replaced many marsupial species. Over 200 species of marsupials live in Australia, along with many fewer species of placentals. The marsupials have undergone an adaptive radiation to occupy the diversity of habitats in Australia, just as the placentals have radiated across North America. read more

Convergent evolution — the repeated evolution of similar traits in multiple lineages which all ancestrally lack the trait — is rife in nature, as illustrated by the examples below. The ultimate cause of convergence is usually a similar evolutionary biome, as similar environments will select for similar traits in any species occupying the same ecological niche, even if those species are only distantly related. read more