Refer to the figure given below and answer the questions that follow:

i. Explain the process by which Tasmanian wolf evolved.

ii. Name the process that has resulted in evolution of wolf and another similar animal such as Tasmanian wolf.

iii. Compare and contrast the two animals shown?

(i) The Tasmanian wolf evolved due to Adaptive Radiation. In this process, varied number of different species inhabiting same geographical area and then gradually radiating or spreading to other parts of the world.

(ii) The process that has resulted in the evolution of wolf and another similar animal such as Tasmanian wolf is called convergent evolution. Convergent evolution is referred to the process in which evolution of same features of different lineages takes place independently.

(iii) The wolf is a placental animal while Tasmanian wolf is a marsupial animal.