Bats and Dolphins Have Nearly Identical Echolocation Abilities

The differences between dolphins and bats are as great as they can possible be. However, despite their striking differences, there is evidence that convergent evolution contributed to the development of both species' strikingly similar echolocation abilities.

Scientists have identified identical genetic markers in 200 genomic areas associated with echolocation in different bat species as well as dolphins. Only 10 to 30 genes in common were what the researchers were hoping to uncover. None of these genetic similarities were found in bats that didn't use echolocation, according to their research.

Particularly, prestin, a protein that influences how hearing functions, has undergone mutations in both dolphins and bats. It was unexpected that this mutation could happen in two quite different species and result in the same thing. This demonstrates that convergent evolution include genetic adaptation in addition to the surface-level physical adaptations.