What is the difference between convergent and divergent evolution?

• A. Convergent evolution describes two species with a common ancestor diverging into different forms.
• B. Divergent evolution occurs when unrelated species become more similar in appearance.
• C. Convergent evolution describes two species with different ancestral origins developing similar characteristics.
• D. Divergent evolution results in identical traits in separate lineages.

Answer: (C)

Convergent evolution occurs when species from different evolutionary lineages develop similar features because they face comparable environmental pressures, even though their ancestors were not closely related. That’s why two distant lineages can end up with similar traits that serve a similar function. Divergent evolution, on the other hand, starts from a shared ancestor and leads to species that become more different as they adapt to different settings or niches.

The statement that best captures convergent evolution is the idea that two species with different ancestral origins develop similar characteristics. It highlights the key point: different beginnings, similar endings due to similar selective forces.

The other ideas mix up these relationships. Divergent evolution is about branching from a common ancestor into different forms, not about unrelated lineages becoming like one another. And divergent evolution does not produce identical traits in separate lineages; it typically widens differences as species specialize in different environments.