Plants in the desert-adapted families Cactacea (cactus)and Euphorbia (euphorbs)share many of the same physical characteristics,such as succulent stems that store water and CAM photosynthesis,but they do not share a recent common ancestor.This evidence suggests that these families are an example of

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The fact that these two desert-adapted plant families share similar physical characteristics, such as succulent stems that store water and use CAM photosynthesis, but do not have a recent common ancestor, strongly suggests convergent evolution. This is when two distinct organisms evolve similar characteristics due to similar selective pressures in their environments, rather than from a shared genetic heritage.

Plants in the Desert-Adapted Families Cactacea (Cactus)and Euphorbia (Euphorbs)share Many