Plantae protist and diatoms evolution

[yahman]

Do similarities between plantae protist and diatoms arise from convergent or divergent evolution?

The Attempt at a Solution

I think they are from convergent evolution however I can't think of a reason why, I know they are paraphyltic on the evolution tree of life. It could be that environmental conditions could have caused this change thus it's convergent, they don't have shared derived trait with a common ancestor, and these new traits that have acquired are mere adaptations to environmental conditions. (this is my best attempt, any help is appreciated !)

 

[nobahar]

Hello!
I think divergent is to do with with differences, and ultimately speciation, not with similarities.
I may have misunderstood what your saying, but I hope this is of some help.

 

[Blueshift5]

Your answer is a good start! Let's break down the question a bit more to fully understand the concepts of convergent and divergent evolution.

Convergent evolution is when unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures. This means that these species do not share a common ancestor, but rather independently evolved similar traits to survive in their environment. On the other hand, divergent evolution is when closely related species evolve different traits due to different environmental pressures. This means that these species share a common ancestor, but over time, they have evolved and adapted to different environments, resulting in different traits.

In the case of Plantae protists and diatoms, they are both eukaryotic organisms and share some similarities such as having a cell wall and chloroplasts. However, these similarities are not due to a common ancestor, but rather due to convergent evolution. This is because both of these organisms evolved in aquatic environments and had to adapt to similar conditions such as photosynthesis and protection from predators. Therefore, they independently evolved similar traits to survive in their environment.

In conclusion, the similarities between Plantae protists and diatoms arise from convergent evolution as they do not share a common ancestor, but have independently evolved similar traits due to similar environmental pressures.