Biology / Unit 8 Bio 1657 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Convergent and Divergent Evolution
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The idea
Convergent evolution produces similar traits in unrelated lineages under similar pressures, while divergent evolution produces increasingly different traits in lineages sharing a common ancestor.
In practice
Bat and insect wings evolved convergently from different origins, while flowering-plant reproductive structures diverged from one shared ancestral form.
Where people slip
Convergent similarity signals shared pressure, not shared ancestry — divergence signals shared ancestry despite growing difference.
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