A team of biologists from Montana and Germany has discovered that, regardless of species, insects that mimic sticks or leaves share the same core body characteristics. Their study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved analyzing 1,359 stick insects from 212 species, including both stick and leaf varieties, to explore patterns of convergent evolution and predict future evolutionary changes.
Previous research has shown that unrelated species can independently evolve similar physical traits—a phenomenon known as convergent evolution. For this study, the researchers focused on stick- and leaf-mimicking insects to investigate how this process unfolds. They found that, across all species, these insects evolved the same 20 key physical traits, such as body shape, head shape, and features resembling those of lobsters. These characteristics have evolved to help the insects blend in with their environment and avoid predators.
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An important discovery from the team’s research was that, because the same body features appeared in different insect species, it became possible to predict future evolutionary developments. The researchers identified environmental factors that had driven previous changes in these insects, noting that creatures living in similar environments tend to evolve similar adaptations, especially in terms of camouflage. This allows them to better evade predators.
The researchers argue that their study represents the largest analysis of convergent evolution in stick and leaf insect lineages. They also highlight that their data, which incorporates both the similarities and differences in insects hiding from the same predators, provides deeper insights into how convergent evolution operates.
The team also found that insects with comparable body plans often share a common ancestor, even if their appearances differ. This suggests that these insects followed different evolutionary pathways to develop similar body structures.
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