Convergent Evolution
Etymology
Joins "convergent" — from Latin "convergere" ("to incline together"), from "con-" ("together") and "vergere" ("to bend, turn") — with "evolution." It names cases where similarity signals a shared challenge rather than a shared ancestor, such as the eye evolving independently many times.
noun phrase · /kun-VUR-jent ev-oh-LOO-shun/
The independent evolution of similar traits in unrelated lineages facing similar pressures.
What it names
A handle for why unrelated things end up alike: when a problem has one good solution, separate paths keep arriving at it — sharks and dolphins, or rival companies converging on the same design.
Example
The two apps never copied each other; the near-identical layouts were convergent evolution toward what users find easiest.
Related idea
The opposite of divergent evolution, where a common ancestor’s descendants grow apart; convergence produces look-alikes with no close kinship — resemblance without relatedness.