The body shapes of these two very different animals (dolphins and fish) are so similar because they both evolved to deal with the drag caused by moving quickly through water. The shape of fish and dolphins is an analogous similarity brought about by convergent evolution.
Analogous similarities arise from the convergent evolution caused by sharing similar ways of life. We see this type of evolution at many different levels of evolution.

I'm sure you can describe an animal that has adapted to some type of lifestyle.
Write down the mammal that best fits these descriptions.

1. A plant eater with large ears that allow it to hear sneaky predators and has long hind legs adapted for hopping away from the predator once detected.
2. An "arboreal glider" - a mammal that uses membranes along the sides of its body to glide from tree to tree.
3. A worm eater with strong, paddle like arms adapted for digging so it can tunnel easily through the soil.
4. An ant and termite eater that has evolved a long sticky tongue to pick up its insect prey and a thick fur to protect it from being bitten by those insects.

Once you have written down all four species,
go to the next page and compare your answers to mine.

Dr Jamie Love, the creator of this website and all of Science Explained, has written several self-study science courses specifically designed for home schoolers and other distance learners. These courses are "hypertextbooks" - delivered over the internet and read on your computer, just like web pages! Merlin's Academy sells a self-paced, self-learning hypertextbook that teaches chemistry in a fun and unique way. Read about Principles of Alchemy! Created by Dr Jamie Love. Merlin's Academy also sells a self-paced, self-learning hypertextbook that teaches observational and scientific astronomy. Check out Principles of Astronomy! Created by Dr Jamie Love. Both courses have unique features and styles, so leap over to Merlin's Academy - Jamie’s "virtual school" - to learn more.