Adaptive radiation is a kind of evolution where animals or plants of common species begin to acquire slightly different traits as they disperse from the common ancestor to different environments and conditions. For example, the mouth parts of Darwin's finches were found to be somehow different because they lived in different environments and conditions even though they came from a common ancestor.

Modified mouthparts of insects are another example of adaptive radiation. Here, it is assumed that insects share a common ancestry. As they migrate to different environments and survival conditions, they gradually modify their feeding mouthparts to maintain survival.

Now for the right answer to the above question:

A is the right answer. insects here assumed to proceed from a common ancestor.
B is incorrect. dentition in mammals not adaptive radiation because of the wide diversity in species and lack of a close ancestor of the group called mammals.
C is incorrect. birds and bats do not share a close ancestor. Birds are not mammals like bats.
D is incorrect. appendages in insects not a clear example because there's no much difference between them, they closely retain those of their ancestors.

KEY-POINTS…

You may please note this/these:

Adaptive radiation is an evolution of species of organisms of a close common ancestor.
As they move towards different environmental and survival conditions, they modify their ancestral traits to suit their new reality.
Examples of adaptive radiation include modified beaks of Darwin's finches, modified mouthparts of insects and human skin color.

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/ culled from 2020 JAMB-UTME biology past question 36 /

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