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Convergent Vs Divergent Evolution

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Could you ever imagine that the wing of a bat and the wing of the fly could be related? Or that the human arm and the fin of a whale could be remotely similar? I’m guessing your answer is no. But because of divergent and convergent evolution, these things are possible. Divergent evolution occurs when a population becomes isolated from the rest of the species and becomes exposed to new selective pressures, causing it to evolve into a new species based on their environment and needs. Convergent evolution is when unrelated species occupy the same environment, making them subjected to similar selective pressures and thus showing similar adaptations. There are many similarities and differences between convergent and divergent evolution, environment …show more content…

A broad example of divergent evolution is the vertebrate limb. This limb in many different species has a common origin, but each species has diverged from this common ancestor to fit the needs best suitable for their environment. Another example of divergent evolution is the grand canyon squirrels. The grand canyon caused a species of squirrels to separate, making them live in two different environments now. Due to them living in a completely different environment, they inquired traits among populations that would best suit them for survival for their surroundings. Because of this, these squirrels now became 2 completely different species; the Kaibab squirrel and the Abert’s squirrel. This is an example of divergent evolution because they diverged from the same common ancestors, but different environments caused for them to become 2 different species. Certain structures also relate to divergent evolution. Homologous structures are a result of divergent evolution. This means that these structures have the same underlying structure since they come from the same common ancestor, but do not have the same function due to the evolution of different species. Some examples of homologous structures include the arm of a human, the wing of a bat, fin of a whale, and the forelimb of a cat. There are also different types of divergent evolution, such

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