Argument on Common Ancestry Between Chameleons and Crocodiles Essay

Total Length: 849 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

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Evolution of Two Species From a Common Ancestor

Charles Darwin is known to have theorized on one of the most controversial, yet longest lasting theory explaining the origin of species. He suggested, through the tree of life hypothesis that all organism on earth might have originated from a common ancestor. There are similarities among the various species that made Darwin to have such a hypothesis and in the context of this paper, the crocodile and the chameleon will be discussed as having the same ancestry with adaptations coming up to help them survive in the varied environments.

According to the evolutionary tree, the crocodile and the chameleons must have had a common ancestry (Robert N. & Jerome K., 2014:Pp46). The crocodile over the years would walk on two legs, but adopted the low quadrupedal in order to have an easier and less noticeable entrance into the large water bodies to hunt for food a long the shores without the prey noticing. The chameleon also has the low quadrupedal for the same purpose in the shrubs. Both the chameleon and the crocodiles rely on their stealth to hunt and both have feet that are adopted for this purpose hence the possibility of a common ancestor.

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The shape of the jaw of the crocodile has over the years evolved to give it more grasp on the prey, subduing the prey and hence survival in terms of food. The same applies to the chameleon who has a similar shaped mouth with powerful jaws that can grasp large prey relative to the size of the chameleon. This is yet another common evolution trend that indicates that they must have had a similar ancestor hence forming such evolutionary adaptations to the changing environment that presented lesser food and yet they both had to perpetuate their species. It is also worth noting that both the chameleon and the crocodile have upward-pointing nostrils, a feature that helps the crocodile to swim with ease and breath without being noticed as it hunts.

The other aspect that brings the two together in terms of ancestry is the aspect of mimicry for protection and survival. The crocodile has a back that resembles a floating log and can easily be passed without being noticed, a feature that helps the crocodile to be an effective hunter without the prey noticing, only to nab them through the element of surprise, the mimicry is….....

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"Argument On Common Ancestry Between Chameleons And Crocodiles", 10 June 2015, Accessed.20 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/argument-common-ancestry-chameleons-crocodiles-2151744