From time to time, Darwinian natural selection stumbles upon a similar solution not just once, but repeatedly, in a process called "convergent evolution."
Recently, GIZMODO came out with a list of its favorite instances of evolution that makes a similar creature or a similar physical trait two times.
In evolution, modification is random, although selection is most definitely not. Each adaptive new characteristic obtained by a species was possibly accompanied by innumerable failed experiments.
The judge, GIZMODO specified, as it were, in making a decision which mutations provide benefit or which aren't, is said to be brutally simple: "continuing survival."
According to this said resource, for organisms caught in a Darwinian mode of existence, the space of all probable advantageous mutations is adequately small in size, a space controlled by physics, biological restraints, not to mention environmental pressures.
3 Examples of Self-Replicating Evolution
At times, it happens when two species that are unrelated, split by time and space, will find themselves living in a similar ecological niche or experiencing the same evolutionary challenges.
When it occurs, evolution will then dip into its restrained grab-bag of solutions, and importantly create the same species two times. Here are 3 of the favorite examples GIZMODO included on its list:
1. Dolphins and Ichthyosaurs
Germans have found an ideal word to describe an ensemble of physical traits mutual to different species: "Bauplan."
In English, the term means "body plan," and it nicely sums up a major aspect of convergent evolution, called "morphological similarities in unrelated species." In other words, it also means two different animals that look so alike.
Two species sharing a common, or at least, quite a similar "Bauplan" are the ancient ichthyosaurus and modern dolphins.
This is a remarkable instance of evolution that stumbles upon a similar solution for two different animal types, in this instance, mammals and reptiles.
The said two creatures are sharing the other similarities, too, such as live births, warm blood, and even the same camouflage.
2. Undersized Archaic Humans
Paleontological evidence proposes that humans are not resistant to the impacts of convergent evolution. Essentially, homo sapiens is the last human species left standing. However, many other humans are said to have walked the Earth, and these include the "Neanderthals, Denisovans, H. Erectus, and H. Naledi, among others."
In 2004, researchers who were working on the island of Flores found evidence of a miniature human species, also known as Homo floresiensis, famously known as "the Hobbit."
Now inexistent, this ancient human was three-feet-and-seven-inches tall. Unbelievably, evidence of a second miniature species called "Homo luzonensis" was revealed in the Philippines in 2019.
These species existed at around the same period, roughly 50,000 years back although, nowhere near each other.
The two's striking physical resemblances have been ascribed to an evolutionary progression called "insular dwarfism," in which a type of species is shrinking over time, owing to restrained resources.
It may not be a coincidence, but both human species resided on islands known to produce miniature species of different sorts.
3. The 'Platypus' Dinosaur
When this extraordinary theropod, also known as Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, was unveiled to the world in 2015, those who discovered it named it "platypus" of dinosaurs crediting it to its "patchwork of anatomical features."
This particular creature is a striking instance of "mosaic convergent evolution," in which traits observed in various species not related to each other are lumped together to create, say, a kind of creature akin to platypus.
In this instance, Chilesaurus was characterized to have strong forearms similar to Allosaurus, and a pelvis like that of the ornithischian dinosaurs, like Stegosaurus and Ceratopsians.
Check out more news and information on Evolution on Science Times.
