Can you explain the three different Evolutionary patterns?

Question

I have been reading about the three evolutionary patters (Divering, Converging and Parallel). There are some things I do not understand about them.

I have read that for one to be true, the others have to be false because they disprove each other. Or maybe I read wrong? or maybe what I read once opon a time was talking about three different evolutionary theories, or are patterns theories???

Its a mess. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

No they don't contradict each other, in fact they're all true.

It's not as hard as it seems, people like to talk with big fancy technical terms that make them sound smart, but the basic idea is pretty simple.

In all cases we are talking about two different populations of animals exposed to different environmental pressures to evolve.

Diverging: The two populations start out with similar features, but their environments drive them to evolve different features and become less and less alike.  They have 'diverged.'

Converging: The two populations start out with different features, but their environments drive them to evolve similar features and become more and more alike.  They have 'converged.'

Parallel: The two populations start out with similar features, and even though they are exposed to different environments they continue to evolve similar features.  They start out alike and continue to stay alike.