Homoplasy

Homoplasy is when different species develop similar traits or features independently, not because they inherited them from a common ancestor. This can happen due to similar environmental pressures or functions, leading to comparable structures that are not genetically related. For example, the wings of bats and insects serve the same purpose but evolved separately. Recognizing homoplasy is important in evolutionary studies because it shows how organisms can evolve similar solutions to challenges without sharing a direct lineage for that trait.