The concept of divergent evolution is roughly defined as "the evolution and increase of differences between closely related species in different directions due to living in different environments and experiencing different selection pressures". Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

The definition of this in the "Genetic Terms" is "the phenomenon that the same species exhibits phenotypic differences due to adaptation to different environments during the process of evolution".

Either of these two illustrates three characteristics of divergent evolution.

The first is the subject "the same species" and "closely related species", which represent species that have undergone divergent evolution, are very closely related, and have the same ancestor.

The second is to adapt to different environments and face different choice pressures.

The third evolves in different directions, resulting in differences between them.

This concept is the opposite of "convergent evolution", which refers to "the phenomenon that organisms that are more closely related to each other form abnormally similar in body shape or organs due to their similar living environment and lifestyle, due to their similar living environment and lifestyle, in the process of long-term adaptation".

The concept of "divergent evolution" is not very accurate here, because it is "adapting to the environment" first, and "changing oneself" last. Titan creatures are the opposite, they grow in size and then adapt to a new environment. But some of their cores are the same - creatures come to a new environment!

From this perspective, coupled with the problem of thresholds, Li Wei made a preliminary prediction of the relationship between "giant deified anteaters and humans".

- When these huge monsters are in a state of chronic hunger because they cannot find food from the past, they will inevitably lower the threshold of foraging and feeding behavior in their bodies, causing them to target new food. This step is the beginning of their change. At first, things that have similarities to the original food will be targeted. If hunger is solved, they will gradually adapt and become accustomed to this new way of feeding, constantly adjusting their behavior. But if they fail, their goal is to gradually expand to include more types of food in their recipes. The objects they target are arranged in a pyramid shape according to their resemblance to the original food. The one with the highest resemblance is the first to be attacked by them.

Similar to the selection of feeding grounds and nesting sites, this principle should also be followed.

But that's exactly what Levi feared.

It is important to know that the feeding habits of animals are a gradual continuum from specialized species to generalized species. The former, such as the dung beetle, feeds almost entirely on animal dung, while the latter, like an earthworm, "eats" everything and can digest almost everything by it.

Most animals are naturally in the middle of absolute diet-specific species and absolute food-specific generalized species. And the object of his attention is obviously biased towards specialized species. This means that they have few options and are prone to extremes.

Ants, as a ubiquitous food, do qualify for anteaters to change for it, tending to feed only on it. Like the long-tongued beast he targeted this time, its various organs have been specialized for feeding ants. In this case, if its sensory organs make it believe that the anthill has something in common with the human town, and taste some sweetness, then it is likely to become a demon that feeds on people.

This result made Levi shudder.

He couldn't help but think of the giant god pangolin he encountered when he was fleeing. It has successfully developed a "weed-pulling" foraging and has gradually adapted to its own changes. It shows that at this point, they are by no means nerds waiting to starve to death. His fears were well founded.

Life will find its own way!

Reining his thoughts, Levi began to focus on the matter at hand, and he did not forget that he was flying in the air.

As he got closer to the beast running below, Levi noticed many details about it, such as its large piercing eyes, its habit of shaking its head from side to side, and the huge branch-like horns on its head, and its silky, shiny fur, which vaguely indicated that it had good eyesight.

Levi looked left and right, afraid that he would be discovered by it.

It wasn't that he was afraid that it would attack him, but now he was three hundred meters above the ground, a long way from it. Rather, they are afraid that it will "startle the snake". In the field to track this matter, "seclusion" work is the top priority.

But the lord didn't know that he was worried - as early as that moment ago, the light shield that enveloped him "disappeared", and they all became transparent.

The behemoth was unaware of Levi's appearance. In fact, even if the airship was so big just now, it didn't pay attention to it.

Although it knows that this thing may not be small.

That's right, the pitch-black beast knew it had changed. With the help of well-developed eyesight and brain power, it can recognize this truth from many details around it. After being confused for a while, it has gradually adapted to a new life. The long-tongued beast is not a social animal, it only gathers together during the reproductive period, so it does not feel much lonely.

Behemoths are not slow, and they are also quite athletic animals. Now its body has become thousands of times larger, so that it can simply "walk and fly", and can run hundreds of kilometers in an hour.

Now, with every step it takes, it shakes up a large cloud of snow and dust. Due to the drive of the huge body, these ice, snow and dust are also boiling, tightly tangled, forming a large gray-white fog. At this moment, it is flowing unsteadily on the earth, like a long dragon python.

Against its backdrop, it is even more unstoppable.

Two hours had passed, and the beast had reached its destination, an abandoned town, now as well as the surrounding wilderness, hidden in a cloud of snow and ice.

"Can you get closer, I want to feel this guy's heart. Levi looked at the old man beside him, and suddenly he retorted, "I still don't want it, there is a forbidden magic force field around this guy......"

"Rest assured, as a Grand Arcanist, I don't even have the skills to do this. As he spoke, Antoine had already led Levi to approach the black beast below, "The forbidden magic force field can only make the magic restless, but not block the magic power. Under its cover, it was a little more difficult for me to cast spells, and the more advanced arcane could not be used at all. But flying is not the case. ”

Levi had only listened to half of the explanation that followed, and now his full attention was on the giant beast beside him. Listening to the sound of all things work, he vaguely felt an emotion.

It's a special kind of joy, similar to the joy of "meeting someone in a foreign land."

At the same time, there is a strong urge to forage!

"Aunt Charlotte, I didn't expect to see you again. ”

"yes, I didn't expect that either. I didn't expect that the sacrifice of me, the eldest princess, would have no effect at all, so that Catherine you would repeat the mistakes of the past and become another ...... me"