Why do dolphins and sharks have streamlined bodies like sharks? Convergent Evolution tells us!
Dolphins are mammals, sharks are fish, so why do their bodies all have streamlined shapes?
This is because streamlined body shapes can reduce their resistance when swimming in water. This is actually a common phenomenon in nature, and different organisms living in the same environment will evolve similar structures.
Today we will explore‘Convergent Evolution of Anteaters’ exhibitthrough which we can deeply understand this phenomenon.
The exhibit has four animal models, which are the Amazonian peccary, the Australian possum, the Asian pangolin, and the South American ant eater. Carefully observe and you will find they have many similarities.
Their claws are hard and sharp, and their mouths are slightly different, but the peccary’s mouth is a little round and relatively short. If you press the four buttons in the exhibit, you will find they all have long and thin tongues.
Through this exhibit, we can see that these four animals are not the same species, but they have evolved similar tongues and claws due to the influence of feeding on ants. In 1859, Darwin proposed in his theory of evolution that the living environment has a significant impact on the evolution of organisms. Subsequently, biologists discovered that different organisms living in the same environment may produce similar structures or the same functions, and we call this phenomenon
convergent evolution.So, the four animals we just talked about, as well as the dolphins and sharks, have undergone convergent evolution.
In life, there are many examples of convergent evolution, such as butterflies, sparrows, and flying fish. They are not the same species, but they all have wings to adapt to the flying lifestyle.
Different organisms in the same environment will evolve similar structures or the same functions. Can you find more examples of convergent evolution?
