All of us, who have seen a Tasmanian devil and also a wolf, would support the fact that both more or less look the same – but, how many of us have ever paused to find out why is it so, even when both are not related at all?
Perhaps none, and am sure this question will leave many pondering. But, you don’t need to brainstorm much as our palaeontologists now have the explanation for it.
This is the magic of biomechanics. This evidence of convergence is revealed by the evolutionary theory – its ‘similar diets.’
Australian researchers have recently concluded on the fact that ‘similar diets’ have led to the evolution of similar snout shapes in a range of similar looking, but unrelated animals.
Explaining the new study, Dr Stephen Wroe of the University of New South Wales said,
Animals that had long skinny snouts tend to eat plants or small prey. Those with short broad snouts tended to be true carnivores and eat large prey.
The ‘convergent evolution’ occurs when unrelated animals independently evolve similar traits when made to adapt to similar environmental problems, like the carnivorous’ need to eat raw meat.
It is found that shorter snouts are more common in true carnivores that ate large prey and animals with long, narrow snouts tend to eat plants or smaller prey.
Thus, this interesting and vital link between diet and snout shape is an important ‘building block’ of the theory of evolution.