If you were to ask someone if they thought ostriches and turkeys were related you would probably get a lot of blank stares in return. After all these two birds couldn’t look any less alike. Ostriches are large flightless birds that are native to Africa while turkeys are smaller flighted birds that are native to North America. However looks can be deceiving and it turns out that these two bird groups are actually more closely related than you might think.
The first clue that ostriches and turkeys are related comes from their DNA. A study published in 2007 found that when the DNA of various bird species was analyzed ostriches and turkeys clustered together in the resulting family tree. This means that according to their DNA these two groups of birds are more closely related to each other than they are to any other bird group.
But why would their DNA show this close relationship if they look so different? It turns out that the similarities in their DNA are due to a case of convergent evolution. Convergent evolution is when two unrelated groups of organisms independently evolve similar traits in response to similar environmental pressures. In the case of ostriches and turkeys it appears that their shared ancestor was a bird that lived in open grassy habitats.
Over time the descendants of this ancestor diverged into two different groups: the group that would eventually give rise to ostriches and the group that would eventually give rise to turkeys. Both groups of animals evolved similar adaptations to their open grassy habitats such as long legs for running and large eyes for scanning the ground for predators. However they also evolved some different adaptations such as the inability to fly in ostriches and the ability to fly in turkeys.
So while ostriches and turkeys may not look alike they are actually quite closely related. Their shared ancestry and similar habitats have led to them evolving some similar traits despite being unrelated.
What is the name of the fastest animal on land?
The cheetah is the fastest animal on land.
How fast can a cheetah run?
Cheetahs can run up to 75 miles per hour.
What is the name of the tallest animal in the world?
The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world.
How long is a giraffe’s neck?
A giraffe’s neck can be up to six feet long.
What is the name of the heaviest animal in the world?
The elephant is the heaviest animal in the world.
How much does the average elephant weigh?
The average elephant weighs between two and four tons.
What is the name of the animal that can hold its breath the longest?
The elephant can hold its breath the longest of any land animal.
How long can an elephant hold its breath underwater?
An elephant can hold its breath underwater for up to eight minutes.
What is the name of the animal with the longest lifespan?
The bowhead whale has the longest lifespan of any animal.
How long can a bowhead whale live?
A bowhead whale can live for up to 200 years.
What is the name of the smallest mammal in the world?
The bumblebee bat is the smallest mammal in the world.
How big is a bumblebee bat?
A bumblebee bat is about the size of a bumblebee.
What is the name of the fastest bird in the world?
The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world.
How fast can a peregrine falcon fly?
A peregrine falcon can fly up to 200 miles per hour.
What is the name of the bird with the longest wingspan?
The wandering albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird.
