convergent evolution
Americannoun
-
the appearance of apparently similar structures in organisms of different lines of descent.
Etymology
Origin of convergent evolution
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s an example of convergent evolution, when completely unrelated species independently evolve comparable traits in response to similar environmental pressures.
From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026
This process of carcinisation is a form of convergent evolution.
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025
Dolphins and bats both utilizing echolocation or birds and bugs both having wings are other examples of convergent evolution.
From Salon • Aug. 15, 2024
The researchers found that this convergent evolution is likely related to changes in the number of copies and the expression patterns of the floral regulatory gene, CYC2.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2024
There may be some convergent evolution because there may be only one best solution to a certain environmental problem— something like two eyes, for example, for binocular vision at optical frequencies.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.