Final answer:
Convergent evolution is demonstrated by species such as sharks and dolphins developing similar body shapes, and insects and birds independently evolving wings, due to similar environmental pressures leading to analogous structures. In terrestrial environments, the arctic fox and ptarmigan both develop white winter camouflage, showing that natural selection fosters similar adaptations in unrelated species facing comparable challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of convergent evolution is the similar body shapes of sharks and dolphins. Sharks are fish, whereas dolphins are mammals, yet both have evolved streamlined bodies suited for fast and efficient swimming in the water. This is because they have both adapted to the same environment - the aquatic realm - which imposes similar selection pressures on organisms living within it. Such adaptations highlight how natural selection can independently shape distinct lineages to arrive at similar functional solutions to environmental challenges.Another clear instance of convergent evolution supporting the theory of evolution by natural selection is witnessed in the wings of insects and birds.
While these organisms are from very different lineages and do not share a recent common ancestor with wing structures, the demand for flight has led to the independent evolution of wings in these groups. This underlines the power of natural selection in driving the emergence of analogous structures - features that are similar in function but not in evolutionary origin.Convergent evolution also occurs in terrestrial environments. An example is the development of temporary white coverings in winter by both the arctic fox and the ptarmigan, which are unrelated but share a similar icy habitat. This convergence is driven by the selection pressure to remain undetected by predators in the Arctic environment, leading to the evolution of white camouflage in both fur and feathers.