Long-eared bandicoots and rabbits

[Deathby]

We had this in our test and I'm slightly confused by it. Both the long-eared bandicoot and the rabbit share many similarities, yet their evolutionary pathlines divered 120 million years ago, why?

 

The answer is obviously convergent evolution, but I can't find any selecting factors which would be similar.

 

Firstly, my quick net search tells me that the long-eared-bandicoot is also apparently called the bilby (a name I am more familiar with) and common features are the long ears, a slight hop, burrowing and a similar overall shape.

 

However I would have assumed that rabbit evolved their long ears to avoid being eaten, and yet I would have assumed the bilby was relatively safe given that it doesn't have any natural predators. Their diets also vary- the bilby being an omnivore and the rabbit being purely herbiverous. Their environments are different. rabbits live in meadows and woodlands, whilst bilby's are spinifex grasslands and an almost desert environment.

 

So my question is why would they evolve such similar adaptations? I thought it was a strange question to put in a test myself, seeing as it requires some general knowledge of the bandicoot (i had no idea it was also called the bilby, if they had said bilby I'd have answered the question more readily) and its a strange case of convergent evolution.

 

My guess was that entirely different selecting factors caused similar adaptations. No idea about the hop, but the bilby's ears would be for heat loss, the rabbit's for hearing.

[Hellbender]

My guess was that entirely different selecting factors caused similar adaptations. No idea about the hop, but the bilby's ears would be for heat loss, the rabbit's for hearing.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to say entirely different, but I think you answered your own question here. There are lots of marsupials that seem to have placental counterparts due to convergent evolution. Google the "marsupial mole" for a more dramatic example of this.

[coquina]

I suggest you google first for the common names along with "taxonomy". That will give you the scientific names. You can then use the scientific names along with terms like "protective adaptation" and "heat dissipation" or "temperature regulator" to see what turns up.