Convergent evolution is similar to, but distinguishable from, the phenomenon of parallel evolution. Parallel evolution occurs when two independent but similar species evolve in the same direction and thus independently acquire similar characteristics; for example, gliding frogs have evolved in parallel from multiple types of tree frog.
Traits arising through convergent evolution are analogous structures, in contrast to homologous structures, which have a common origin, but not necessarily similar function. The British anatomist Richard Owen was the first scientist to recognize the fundamental difference between analogies and homologies. Bat and pterosaur wings are an example of analogous structures, while the bat wing is homologous to human and other mammal forearms, sharing an ancestral state despite serving different functions.
The opposite of convergent evolution is divergent evolution, whereby related species evolve different traits. On a molecular level, this can happen due to random mutation unrelated to adaptive changes. Learning Objectives Predict the circumstances supporting convergent evolution of two species. Chapter Plant Structure, Growth, and Nutrition.
Chapter Plant Reproduction. Chapter Plant Responses to the Environment. Full Table of Contents. This is a sample clip. Sign in or start your free trial. JoVE Core Biology. Previous Video. Embed Share. Bats and most birds share the ability to fly by flapping their wings. Please enter your institutional email to check if you have access to this content.
Please create an account to get access. Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we may send you a link to reset your password. To request a trial, please fill out the form below. A JoVE representative will be in touch with you shortly. You have already requested a trial and a JoVE representative will be in touch with you shortly.
If you need immediate assistance, please email us at subscriptions jove. Thank You. Please enjoy a free hour trial. In order to begin, please login. Please click here to activate your free hour trial.
If you do not wish to begin your trial now, you can log back into JoVE at any time to begin. Save to playlist. Filter by:. Yet despite their winding paths, both animals ended up in similar evolutionary niches: streamlined swimmers with smooth skin and water-slicing fins ideal for chasing down prey. Each of Earth's habitats presents its own challenges. Sometimes, different species develop the same solution to the same problem. Biologists call this process — when two organisms share characteristics that they didn't jointly inherit from a common ancestor — convergent evolution.
The classical examples of evolution , such as Darwin's finches, demonstrate the opposite process: divergent evolution. Popularized in the late s by American missionary and naturalist J. Gulick, the term describes one single species becoming many to fit different roles in a given setting.
By contrast, convergent evolution happens when species start out distinct and then grow more similar. For instance, imagine you were to dump an assortment of parrots and toucans onto the same island. Individuals with beaks that were inefficient for snagging bugs might go hungry and die without passing their bad-beak genes on to offspring.
But the parrots and toucans lucky enough to have beaks that were more successful at grabbing bugs, would survive and pass on the genes for those bug-nabbing beaks. Generations later, the descendents of both species could converge on the same beak shape, as it's the most successful design for surviving in that habitat.
The concepts underlying convergent evolution can be traced back to Richard Owen, a British biologist who, despite doubting Darwin's theory of evolution, in the mid s pointed out the difference between animals with body parts that are built similarly homologues and body parts that just have similar purposes analogues. Bat has the same anatomic forelimb features as that of other mammals, i. Such structures with novel functions yet from the same embryonic developmental origin are described as homologous as opposed to the analogous structures in convergent evolution.
Possible causes of divergent evolution are migration, interbreeding, and exposure to new environmental pressures. This is called adaptive radiation. DNA is a double helix structure comprised of nucleotides. A nucleotide, in turn, is made up of phosphate molecule, deoxy.. Learn about community patterns and the ecological factors influencing these patterns. Revisit some of the ecosystems you.. The cell is defined as the fundamental, functional unit of life.
Some organisms are comprised of only one cell whereas o.. Darwin's Finches are an example of natural selection in action. They are an excellent example of the way species' gene p..
Plants, like animals, produce hormones to regulate plant activities, including growth. They need these hormones to respo.. Multicellular organisms evolved. The first ones were likely in the form of sponges. Multicellularity led to the evolutio.. Skip to content Main Navigation Search.
0コメント