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Question
Why do placental mammals and Australian marsupials show similar appearances despite being phylogenetically distinct?
Options
They evolved independently under similar environmental pressures, demonstrating convergent evolution
They are descended from the same common ancestor
Environmental pressures have no effect on morphological evolution
Marsupials migrated from placental mammal populations
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Solution
Placental mammals and Australian marsupials show similar appearances despite being phylogenetically distinct because they represent convergent evolution. They evolved independently under similar environmental pressures, causing them to develop comparable ecological forms and body structures. This occurs when unrelated organisms occupy similar ecological niches and face similar selective pressures, leading to analogous adaptations rather than homologous structures derived from a common ancestor.
