Divergent evolution in mammals is defined as?

• A. When unrelated species evolve similar traits.
• B. When species merge into one.
• C. When related populations evolve different traits, leading to speciation; example: wolves and coyotes diverging from a common ancestor.
• D. A population changing due to a single mutation.

Answer: (C)

Divergent evolution happens when populations that share a common ancestor become isolated and then adapt to different environments, leading to distinct traits and eventually new species. The example of wolves and coyotes diverging from a common ancestor illustrates this process: each lineage faced different ecological pressures, so they accumulated differences over time until they became separate species.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Unrelated species evolving similar traits describes convergent evolution, not divergence. The notion of species merging into one contradicts how speciation and lineage differentiation work. A change in a population driven by a single mutation captures only a small, isolated change rather than the broader split into distinct lineages that characterizes divergent evolution.