Elliptical Pupils

[SusiQArnott]

Having read your explanation of elloptical pupils, are cats, then, related to alligators or lizards more than they are to other mammals?

[wildwood]

Not really. It is called parallel evolution. The development of a characteristic development to suit a certain situation. If you look at a grazing animal you'll find that because of the shape of their pupil, they have a wide field of vision of their surrounding when their head is down close to the ground..

[SusiQArnott]

That was a good explanation. Thank you.

[Clanad]

Except, wildwood, Charles Darwin's theory predicts against your explanation. Addiitonally, most evolutionary theorists are also strongly against convergence. Convergence is the 'parallel evolution' you have described, i.e., the same thing occurring in different locations at different times. Evolution, as explained by Darwin and more recently Stephen Jay Gould, states that all changes, good or bad, are caused by completley random mutations to DNA. Therefore, two or more similar outcomes from randomly occurring mutations defies statistical prediction... and evolutionary theory/ Gould says that if life's 'video' were rewound a totally different outcome is to be expected...