How did animals migrate from one continent to another?

The cause of migration may be local climate, local availability of food, the season of the year or for mating. To be counted as a true migration, and not just a local dispersal or irruption, the movement of the animals should be an annual or seasonal occurrence, or a major habitat change as part of their life.

Why are there the same species on different continents?

The simple reason for parallel evolution occuring is that similar environments and similar population pressures do indeed lead different species to evolve similar traits. A successful trait in one place is going to be successful in another.

How did different animals evolve?

Biologists believe that new species evolve from existing species by a process called natural selection. Organisms that inherit that favorable new gene are likely to become more abundant than others of the species. Sometimes the population of a species becomes separated into two areas, by geography or by climate.

How did land animals evolve?

So when the first animals moved onto land, they had to trade their fins for limbs, and their gills for lungs, the better to adapt to their new terrestrial environment. This zip line, MacIver maintains, drove the selection of rudimentary limbs, which allowed animals to make their first brief forays onto land.

What causes different species to migrate?

Some animals travel relatively short distances to find food or more favorable living or breeding conditions. Most animals that migrate do so to find food or more livable conditions. Some animals migrate to breed. Frogs and toads often move very short distances to breeding ponds and lakes to lay their eggs.

What causes animals to migrate?

One of the main reasons animals migrate is to find food. In the winter, they migrate back to warmer waters to raise their calves. Other animals migrate because of the climate or seasons. For example, monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrate to avoid cold temperatures in the winter.

How could two species that evolved on separate continents have many similarities read more >>?

How could two species that evolved on separate continents have many similarities? Land bridges. Geographic isolation is when two species are separated and both of them have to adapt to their new habitats.

What features do unrelated species that develop similar traits in different parts of the world demonstrate?

Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar trait(s) in unrelated species. This usually happens because the species are living in similar (or the same) environments, so they evolve similar adaptations to face the same selective pressures.

Why do different animals have different traits?

The foundation of variation is based on genetics, or alterations in the DNA called mutations. Different types of genetic mutations arise in an organism. Any one of those mutations can alter an organism’s traits or phenotype. These traits are heritable, meaning it can be passed down to future generations.

Why did animals come to land?

It may have been to escape predators or at least lay eggs in a safer place. Maybe there were new food sources they were really trying to access. The land was a whole unexplored ecosystem at this time so there were many opportunities.

Why do animals and plants live on different continents?

Different kinds of animals and plants live in different parts of the world. This is true now, and it was true in the past. As a result, if you find fossils of the same animal or plant on different continents now, then that is evidence that those two continents may have been a single continent when those fossils were formed.

Why do we find fossils on two different continents?

This is true now, and it was true in the past. As a result, if you find fossils of the same animal or plant on different continents now, then that is evidence that those two continents may have been a single continent when those fossils were formed.

Do we know how many continents were once attached together?

We have found fossils of animals and plants that existed in a small area of the world, but they exist on what is today 2 continents — but we know they only existed in one place, so we can deduce that those continents were once attached together, and have now separated!

How does nature present species?

Nature presents two geographically and genetically separated species with similar unoccupied niches in their environments. In some cases, this results in the acquisition of similar adaptations, which leads to morphological homology without having to be the same species.