Some accuse evolution of being pretty directionless. After all, the whole process involves random genetic mutations. But if evolution is just a toss of a million-sided die, why do so many animals turn out eerily similar? Nope, it’s not intelligent design. We take a look at the creepy look-alikes brought on by what biologists call “convergent evolution.”
Could a koala frame you for a crime? Probably not you, but it could certainly frame your species. Koala fingerprints and human fingerprints are so alike that experts can mistake one for the other. Which makes no sense, since koalas and humans split off from each other between 125 and 150 million years ago. Our genetics haven’t crossed over since (although that would be one cute baby), we’re not the same size, we don’t do the same things, and yet the pads of our fingers look exactly alike. How did that happen?
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