Pernature with Isaac

  What is Convergent Evolution? Convergent evolution is when two species, though not being closely related, develop similar traits and features. One of the most famous examples is of bats and birds - two animals that, despite being only very distantly related and having no flying common ancestor, developed flight independently. In fact, it's thought bats first took to the skies around 50 million years ago whereas birds did so 100 million years earlier. The reason for similar adaptions like this are often the same - in the case of bats and birds, it was both that prey were easier to hunt aerially and the fact that it was harder for terrestrial predators to catch them while airborne. However, in this edition of Pernature we'll be focusing on a less well-known case of convergent evolution on our shores: the European bullhead and the black goby. Bullheads A European bullhead caught in the River Great Ouse To understand our strange case of convergent evolution, lets meet our firs...