What are your favourite examples of convergent evolution?

This is my first nature talk post here but I think this is relevant so here we go.

In case you do not know convergent evolution is when two more or less unrelated species evolve to look similar, especially on different parts of the globe. Just like things evolve into crabs.

Here are starters (some species are obscure and it is hard to find data on them on the web; Those ones I’ve linked to observations or specimens. Other ones will come up simply by searching Google) -

Hamma spp. are the Old world equivalent of the New world Heteronotus. (Both Membracidae but different subfamilies)

Gargarina carinata is the Old world equivalent of New world Cymbomorpha (just it is black; Membracidae, yet again separate subfamilies which evolved independently)

Centrochares spp. are similar to New world Daimon serricornis and Notocera spp.

Some fulgorid nymphs look like antlions.

Cephalelini and Paradorydiini are unrelated but similar.

Hemisphaerius astridae looks like Chilocorus circumdatus.

Let’s see what you’ve got!

I love how Hummingbirds and Sunbirds evolved to look and behave so similarly, when the former are in the Americas and the latter on Eurasia.

Aarav,

One of my favourite posts on the iNat Forum applies to this:

And Caleb @upupa-epops has some great examples in this thread: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/your-misled-moments-with-convergent-evolution/

Wow. Also I forgot to mention that Old world and New world vultures are very unrelated; And Old world vultures are part of the Accipitridae which contains Hawks, eagles and much more and are themselves classified into two separate subfamilies, the Gypaetinae and Aegypiinae.

I like the deep structural convergences, like the multiple origins of complex eyes, pass-through-guts, jointed limbs, lichenization, trees, hairs, etc.

I have a soft spot for raptorial forelegs. Those of preying mantises are famously similar to Mantispid lacewings but also in Ochthera sp. the Mantid Shore Flies.
Other examples are giant water bugs Belostomatidae and outside of insects in Mantis Shrimp Stomatopoda and Whip Scorpions.

At least Cathartiformes is now sibling to Accipitriformes and together they’re sibling to Strigiformes, so most of the birds of prey are together. I remember when I was a kid they were saying New World vultures were related to storks. Except now falcons and caracaras are way off in a weird position beside parrots and passerines while kites are scattered across Accipitridae.

I suppose Secretarybird is convergent with Red-legged Seriema and probably various other extinct Cariamiformes.

My favorite example is Trametes betulina, the Gilled Polypore, which is exactly what it sounds like - a polypore mushroom that independently evolved gills. There’s also a gilled bolete.

Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, both frequent visitors to my feeders
https://www.audubon.org/news/theres-new-theory-why-downy-and-hairy-woodpeckers-look-so-alike

Wow. Amazing example. I nearly failed to understand the difference.

My favorite examples are the odd convergence between some African and North American bird species.

the Eastern Meadowlark and Yellow-throated Longclaw are nearly indistinguishable visually despite being completely unrelated to one another, being in very different families!

The Red-winged Blackbird and the Long-tailed Widowbird also look strikingly similar.

yup, and they share the same range, rather than being on opposite sides of the world! Sometimes they will be on opposite sides of a suet feeder at the same time - although usually the Downys will defer to the larger Hairys and wait nearby.
You have to get good pix of the beaks and the bars (or absence of) on the tails, for ID purposes!

Downy:

Hairy:

Awn with twisted column to drive the seed into the ground

Austrostipa hemipogon (monocot)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/356120841

Erodium crinitum (dicot)
https://spapps.environment.sa.gov.au/SeedsOfSA/speciesinformation.html?rid=1763

Here’s one from my Fictionary wordlist:

mantella, n. A poisonous frog endemic to Madagascar, resembling but unrelated to the dendrobat.

Mantellas and dendrobats (which are endemic to Central and South America) are in different subfamilies, but both are brightly colored and poisonous.

Another example of convergence, going from memory, is in the development of eyes. Insect eyes and mammal eyes are of completely different design and the genes that direct their development are different. But the gene that tells where to put the eye is the same.