--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever we find, in two forms of life…" description: "\"Whenever we find, in two forms of life that are unrelated to each other, a similarity of form or of behaviour patterns which relates to more than a few..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c61/konrad-lorenz-8538_adaptation_whenever-we-find-in-two-forms-of-life-th_134587.jpg" --- # Whenever we find, in two forms of life that are unrelated… ![“Whenever we find, in two forms of life that are unrelated to each other, a similarity of form or of behaviour patterns which relates to more than a few minor details, we assume it to be caused by parallel adaptation to the same life-preserving function.” quote by Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c61/konrad-lorenz-8538_adaptation_whenever-we-find-in-two-forms-of-life-th_134587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c61/konrad-lorenz-8538_adaptation_whenever-we-find-in-two-forms-of-life-th_134587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c61/konrad-lorenz-8538_adaptation_whenever-we-find-in-two-forms-of-life-th_134587.jpg) > “Whenever we find, in two forms of life that are unrelated to each other, a similarity of form or of behaviour patterns which relates to more than a few minor details, we assume it to be caused by parallel adaptation to the same life-preserving function.” [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often infer that similar traits in unrelated species arise from adapting to the same survival need. **In simple terms:** Similar traits suggest shared survival pressures. Key Takeaway Look for functional reasons behind similarities. Themes evolution convergence adaptation Mood curious analytical Type scientific educational When to use this quote - biology research - comparative anatomy - ecology - education Key Concepts parallel evolution functional morphology Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish convergent from homologous traits? - What functional pressures could drive this similarity? A Different Perspective Similarity may arise from shared ancestry rather than convergence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adaptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adaptation/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“In the end he came to the realisation that suffering is not caused by ill fortune, by social injustice, or by divine whims. Rather,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/in-the-end-he-came-to-the-realisation-that-suffering-is-not-caused-by/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Basically, I hate conformity. I hate people telling me what to do. It makes me want to smash things. So-called normal behaviour patterns make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-o-williams/basically-i-hate-conformity-i-hate-people-telling-me-what-to-do-it/) [Wendy O. 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Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) ## More by Konrad Lorenz > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [I owe undying gratitude to my patient parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/i-owe-undying-gratitude-to-my-patient-parents/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/it-is-a-good-morning-exercise-for-a-research-scientist-to-discard-a/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > ['I don't need brains,' says the billionaire contemptuously. 'I'm brainy enough myself!' 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