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Convergent Evolution
Living things that are not related sometimes
develop similar body parts. Both birds and bats, for example, have
wings. This process, called convergent evolution, usually happens when
plants or animals live in the same kind of environment.
 The ichthyosaur is an extinct reptile. Its
front limb was shaped like a paddle and had many small bones.
The dolphin is a mammal. Its paddle has the
typical bones of the mammal arm and hand.
The penguin is a bird that cannot fly. Its
paddle has the typical bones of a bird's wing.
All of these animals have different skeletons, but they all have
evolved the same kinds of limbs and the same streamlined body shape,
which help them move speedily through water.
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