Re: your mail

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

On Mon, 1 Apr 1996, MC2 wrote:

> >HI, I know this is not strictly a dinos question, but what is the
> >correct term (if any) for organisms which superficially look
> >alike/have similar habits but are not related (ie the results of
> >convergent evolution).
> 
>         That IS the correct term, if I'm understanding your question
> correctly.  Convergent evolution _specifically_ applies to _different_
> species that have independently evolved similarities...

        That's not how I understood the question; the original poster was 
asking about the term for organisms that are the *end result* of 
convergent evolution.  For example, "The marsupial mole, the golden mole, 
and the true moles are _______, and they got that way through convergent 
evolution."  

        I'm not sure what to tell him.  Mimics?  Counterparts?  
Imposters?  Perhaps "confaciates" ("having appearances together")?  I've 
never heard a technical term describing this relationship--as opposed to 
the phenomenon that causes it, i.e. convergent evolution.  Am I making 
any sense here?

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8206
PharriNJ@PLU.edu