Double-jointed Hawks and Convergent Evolution
Two different hawks have evolved an identical (and outlandish) ability.
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Show Notes
Crane Hawks of Central and South America and African Harrier-Hawks both have legs that bend forward and backward. Each bird’s wonderfully peculiar leg adaptation is completely original — it evolved all on its own — even though the end result is the same. It's a fascinating example of a phenomenon called convergent evolution.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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