Which term indicates the evolution of many closely related species from one or a few ancestral species in a relatively short period of time?

A) Microevolution
B) Preadaptations
C) Adaptive radiation
D) Allometric growth
E) Allopatric speciation

Adaptive Radiation

The rapid diversification of a single ancestor species into a wide variety of forms with different ecological niches.

Ancestral Species

A species from which two or more species evolved, serving as a common predecessor in the evolutionary tree.

Closely Related

Describes organisms or entities that share a recent common ancestor or have a high degree of genetic similarity, often within the same family or genus.