Scoville, Heather. From a mathematical standpoint, an unused gene (selectively neutral) has a steadily decreasing probability of retaining potential functionality over time. Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Even though the deserts of Africa and those in North America have similar climates, the species of flora there are not closely related on the tree of life. The key difference between convergent and divergent evolution is that the distinct species that do not share a common ancestor show similar traits in convergent evolution while the species that share a common ancestor show different traits and separate into different forms in divergent evolution. So, convergent evolution can tell us a lot about what kinds of adaptations work to help species survive all the trials and tribulations they might face in a particular type of environment – what ecologists call a biome. Evolution is thus a balance of contingent events (mutations and other chance events) and emphatically non-contingent events (selection, convergent evolution). (2021, January 26). Convergent evolution definition, the appearance of apparently similar structures in organisms of different lines of descent. [16], The enzymology of proteases provides some of the clearest examples of convergent evolution. Convergent evolution is the opposite of divergent evolution, in which related species evolve different traits. Studies have found convergence in amino acid sequences in echolocating bats and the dolphin;[21] among marine mammals;[22] between giant and red pandas;[23] and between the thylacine and canids. Both humans and octopuses have camera-like eyes with an iris, a lens and a retina — all essential parts of an imaging device. Convergent evolution is when two species, that are not related via a recent common ancestor, become more similar. Examples of convergent evolution abound, but they're easiest to see in familiar animal species. (2012). ThoughtCo, Jan. 26, 2021, thoughtco.com/what-is-convergent-evolution-1224809. A shark is a fish and a dolphin is a mammal. By studying phosphatase, glycoside hydrolase, glucanase, RNAse and chitinase enzymes as well as a pathogenesis-related protein and a thaumatin-related protein, the authors found many convergent amino acid substitutions. The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and batshave independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Many instances of convergent evolution are known in plants, including the repeated development of C4 photosynthesis, seed dispersal by fleshy fruits adapted to be eaten by animals, and carnivory. [47], While convergent evolution is often illustrated with animal examples, it has often occurred in plant evolution. However, all organisms share a common ancestor more or less recently, so the question of how far back to look in evolutionary time and how similar the ancestors need to be for one to consider parallel evolution to have taken place is not entirely resolved within evolutionary biology. Convergent evolution leads to analogous structures, which may arise from sharing the same environment instead of the same ancestor. Bird, bat, and pterosaur wings are analogous structures, but their forelimbs are homologous, sharing an ancestral state despite serving different functions. Though dolphins and sharks are distantly related animals, their body shapes are adapted for fast swimming. Furthermore, they may show similar … You might be surprised to hear that not all vultures are … Opposable thumbs allowing the grasping of objects are most often associated with primates, like humans, monkeys, apes, and lemurs. [58], Phylogenetic reconstruction and ancestral state reconstruction proceed by assuming that evolution has occurred without convergence. [25][26], Swimming animals including fish such as herrings, marine mammals such as dolphins, and ichthyosaurs (of the Mesozoic) all converged on the same streamlined shape. As a result, cephalopods lack a blind spot. Taxa which do share ancestry are part of the same clade; cladistics seeks to arrange them according to their degree of relatedness to describe their phylogeny. Convergent evolution happens when two or more different species develop similar biological characteristics. So, while the wings of bats and birds are functionally convergent, they are not anatomically convergent. Other methods rely on an a priori specification of where shifts in selection have occurred. Another example of convergent evolution is the emergence of wings in birds, bats, and insects as an adaptation to fly. Evolution is defined as a change in species over time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. Divergent vs Convergent Evolution: Evolution is the concept that the animals and plants that are breathy today have grown from past creatures.Advancements took place gradually over time until the development of the characteristics we see in plants and animals today. It occurs when two species from unrelated lines develop the same traits or features. The synergistic relationship between the Q111 and N122 substitutions are highlighted. Kangaroo Rats and Hopping Mice. New World and Old World vultures. Convergent Evolution. This concept is most commonly associated with Richard Owen, a British biologist. Natural selection can result in evolutionary convergence under several different circumstances. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-convergent-evolution-1224809 (accessed February 20, 2021). [27][28] A similar shape and swimming adaptations are even present in molluscs, such as Phylliroe. That leads those different species to acquire adaptations that create a similar appearance and behavior as the other species. These include, for example, the proboscis of flower-visiting insects such as bees and flower beetles,[42][43][44] or the biting-sucking mouthparts of blood-sucking insects such as fleas and mosquitos. Convergent evolution is a process in biology. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-convergent-evolution-1224809. [39], Flying squirrels and sugar gliders are much alike in their body plans, with gliding wings stretched between their limbs, but flying squirrels are placental mammals while sugar gliders are marsupials, widely separated within the mammal lineage. The Difference Between Analogy and Homology in Evolution, Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher About Evolution, How Prezygotic Isolation Leads to New Species, M.A., Technological Teaching and Learning, Ashford University, B.A., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cornell University. An example of this is the streamlined, bullet-type shape of sharks and dolphins that allows them to swim fast through the water. In morphology, analogous traits arise when different species live in similar ways and/or a similar environment, and so face the same environmental factors. Parallel evolution implies that two or more lineages have changed in similar ways, so that the evolved descendants are as similar to each other as their ancestors were. Convergence has played a key role in evolutionary biology in at least three ways. Even though these species look very similar and are sometimes mistaken for each other, they are not closely related on the evolutionary tree of life. Some processes produce much quicker results than others, but all lead to speciation and contribute to the diversity of life on Earth. This happens because they live in similar habitats, and have to develop solutions to the same kind of problems. Instead, they have evolved thorns for protection and the holding chambers for water to keep them alive through long periods of no rain in the hot climates. Their wings differ substantially in construction. Both look very similar with their small rodent-like body structure and thin membrane that connects their forelimbs to their hind limbs that they use to glide through the air. [3][37] Birds and bats also share a high concentration of cerebrosides in the skin of their wings.
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