What phenomenon describes the independent evolution of similar forms in unrelated bird groups due to shared ecological pressures?
Answer
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution is the process wherein distantly related species independently evolve similar traits or morphologies because they face similar environmental challenges or occupy comparable ecological niches. In the context of woodpeckers, this means that if two genetically distinct lineages encounter environments characterized by very hard wood and similar insect prey, they may both evolve similar body shapes or plumage patterns because those physical solutions maximize foraging efficiency under those identical constraints, even if their last common ancestor was very different.
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