Which term describes traits that are similar due to convergent evolution?

Which term describes traits that are similar due to convergent evolution?

• A. convergent
• B. homoplasious
• C. analogous
• D. homologous

Answer: (C)

Traits that look alike because they evolve independently under similar environmental pressures are called analogous. They serve similar functions, but their evolutionary origins are separate, so the resemblance isn’t due to shared ancestry. An example is the wings of birds and bats—they both enable flight yet evolved separately in these lineages. The other terms point to different ideas: convergent refers to the process that can produce such similarity, homologous describes traits that come from a common ancestor (and may not look alike), and homoplasious is a technical phylogenetic term for characters that are similar for reasons other than shared ancestry, which isn’t the standard label for these traits.

Traits that look alike because they evolve independently under similar environmental pressures are called analogous. They serve similar functions, but their evolutionary origins are separate, so the resemblance isn’t due to shared ancestry. An example is the wings of birds and bats—they both enable flight yet evolved separately in these lineages. The other terms point to different ideas: convergent refers to the process that can produce such similarity, homologous describes traits that come from a common ancestor (and may not look alike), and homoplasious is a technical phylogenetic term for characters that are similar for reasons other than shared ancestry, which isn’t the standard label for these traits.