Convergent evolution may be more common than previously thought

Science : It is well known that birds, bats, and insects, which all have wings, are only very very distantly related organisms. The phenomenon of convergent evolution in animal species may be much more pervasive than previously believed, however, say Stephen Rossiter of Queen Mary, University of London, and his colleagues, whose paper was recently published in Nature. To better understand the processes involved, the researchers analyzed the genomic sequence data of mammals that have independently evolved echolocation, such as bats and dolphins. What they found was that although evolution is typically thought to involve the divergence of genes, similar traits may evolve convergently in unrelated animals due to similar selection pressures. The finding may have implications for determining the relationships among organisms: Similar genes and proteins across species may lead biologists to think certain animals are more closely related than they actually are.