riverwild
Convergence in evolution is when two or more organisms “happen upon” the same traits through different routs. For instance there are many marsupial animals that are very similar to their placental mammal distant cousins.
There was an ancient “saber toothed cat” that wasn’t related to cats at all, but looked just like one. It was a marsupial, and lived thousands of years before regular saber toothed cats. There was also a marsupial “dog” that recently became extinct. Convergence is widespread, in both plants and animals, even at the molecular level. There is no known reason for convergence. It shouldn’t happen in a random world. But it does happen, all the time.
I believe it is because evolution is designed. There are certain “archetypes” that show up again and again. It is nature’s way of trying to get it “right”. There were many varieties of hominid throughout recent evolution. That is because there is a human archetype. Humans are supposed to be here, and nature will keep trying until it hits on the right one. This is because evolution is planned from the beginning. There is a goal, and we are a part of it.
