Question

Distinguish between convergent evolution and divergent evolution.

Hint:

Convergent = unrelated species end up alike; divergent = related species end up different.

Answer 1

Understanding the Question:
Both are patterns of evolution, but they describe opposite relationships between similarity in appearance and similarity in ancestry.

Detailed Explanation:
Convergent evolution happens when unrelated species, living in similar environments, independently evolve similar looking structures because they face similar selection pressures. The wings of a bird and the wings of a bat look and function alike, but the two lineages are not closely related, so these are analogous structures.
Divergent evolution happens when a single ancestral species gives rise to many different species that adapt to different environments and end up looking quite different from each other, even though they share a common origin. The forelimbs of a human, a whale and a bat come from the same basic ancestral bone plan but have diverged into a hand, a flipper and a wing, so these are homologous structures.

Final Answer:
Convergent evolution makes unrelated species look similar (analogous structures), while divergent evolution makes related species with a common ancestor look different (homologous structures).