Copycat Evolution: How Cats and Dogs Surprised Scientists with Parallel Adaptations?
Scientists discovered that flat-faced cats and dogs evolved similar features independently – a Purrfect example of ‘copycat’ evolution!
In Bern, Switzerland, an unusual museum collection holds the largest scientific assembly of pedigree dog skulls in the world 2,800 specimens representing more than 100 breeds. Years ago, Abby Grace Drake, a scientist from Cornell University, meticulously measured these skulls to study the diversity of domestic dogs compared to their wild relatives like wolves, foxes, and coyotes.
According to findings, Dog breeds exhibit far more variation in skull shape than their wild counterparts. This discovery fascinated evolutionary biologist Jonathan Losos, who then turned his attention to cats. He wondered: Do domestic cat breeds also show more skull diversity than wild felines?
The answer, published in a new study in PNAS, reveals something even more surprising case of copycat evolution where unrelated cats and dogs evolved similar traits independently.
Losos and Drake compared domestic cat and dog skulls to their wild relatives, expecting to see the same pattern greater diversity in domestic breeds. While they did find some variation, the real shock was in how certain wild cats and dogs evolved similar skull shapes despite being distant relatives.
Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species develop similar traits due to comparable environmental pressures. Some striking examples are, the Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) A small, stocky South American canid with a cat-like skull, adapted for ambush hunting. The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) A wild cat with dog-like limb proportions, built for agility and climbing.
The Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) A mongoose relative (closer to cats) that evolved dog-like traits, including a long snout and strong legs for chasing prey. These cases show that hunting style and ecological niche can override evolutionary lineage, leading to uncanny resemblances.
Similar Diets & Hunting Strategies: like Ambush predators (like some cats and bush dogs) develop shorter snouts and stronger jaws, while pursuit hunters (like wolves and the fossa) evolve longer muzzles and leaner builds. Niche Specialization: When two species occupy similar roles in different ecosystems, evolution “repeats itself” to fill that role efficiently.
This study challenges the traditional view that anatomy is strictly tied to ancestry. Instead, Function can shape form independently in different species. Domestication isn’t the only driver of diversity wild predators can evolve in parallel too. Convergent evolution is more common than we thought, especially in predators with similar lifestyles.
From cat-like dogs to dog-like cats, evolution proves that nature loves a good shortcut**. When a particular body plan works—whether for ambush hunting or high-speed chases—it can appear again and again, even in unrelated species.
So, the next time you see a stocky, big-jawed dog or a slender, long-legged cat, remember, they might just be nature’s way of saying, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it
Read the full study in PNAS (https://www.pnas.org/).
Explore the Naturhistorisches Museum Bern’s skull collection.