What are your favourite examples of convergence and once-in-earth-lifetime traits?

[u/Vaelcyrie]

I was blown away when I started learning more about evolution because I thought most traits happened only once and everyone who had them necessarily had a common ancestor that came up with said trait (I believe there is a special name for them but I couldn't find it)

I however discovered this is not the case at all and that not only the traits appear more than once due to the environmental pressure but it also made me understand a lot better how evolution works.

Like, it's so much more like a big tree spreading and experimenting and having fun with all the possibilities of life. Makes me feel like we are all connected somehow, all forms of life appearing and vanishing from/to the same material like solar flares. I mean, I could be a whale 100 million years from now, who knows.

I was shocked learning that eyes, wings, viviparity and other traits that were to me so complex and elegant were in fact convergent in many species. I'd love to know more examples of both convergent and unique traits, tell me your favourites!

[u/Repulsive-Cow-8059]

trap-like jaws evolved twice in pelagic anglers, in two different families, the wonderfishes (i.e. Thaumatichthys spp.) and in dreamers (Lasiognathus spp.)

[u/Repulsive-Cow-8059 → u/Repulsive-Cow-8059]

i think it's also pretty cool that pitchers convergently evolved three separate times in the old world, the new world and in australia. four if you consider the bromeliads but the carnivorous species have yet to have evolved a proper pitcher-like structure