Convergent Evolution

In chapter 4 the textbook explains convergent evolution and gives a few examples, but it was something that I wanted to see some more examples of and learn some more about. Convergent evolution is when two distinct species, with no recent common ancestor, develop similar characteristics due to similar environmental conditions and pressures. I found that there are another interesting example is a form of lichen. The lichen was found in Australia and North America. They look exactly alike and make the same chemicals. The lichens were thought to be the same species until their DNA was sequenced in 2009, which showed that they are actually different species that evolved from different branches. The lichen are similar in every way and even the people conducting the testing of them thought they were the same until the DNA sequencing.
The same article mentioned another convergent evolution example that really caught my attention. The article mentioned the American wolf and the Tasmanian wolf, which really caught my attention. The Tasmanian wolf and our American species both developed similar characteristics through convergent evolution. They both developed their characteristics after the breakup of the super-continent Gondwanaland, which separated about 100 million years ago. The American wolf is a mammal and shares similar skull and body build to the Tasmanian wolf. The Tasmanian wolf is a marsupial; it had a pouch so it wasn't exactly like the American kind. They both have similar characteristics but evolved on their own evolutionary path without a recent common ancestor. I enjoyed learning about the Tasmanian wolf but unfortunately they are thought to be extinct and the last one died in captivity.

This is a Tasmanian wolf.

http://animal.memozee.com/view.php?tid=3&did=5713

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502110622.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/p/parallel_evolution.htm