Why do some extinct animals resemble live of today?

There are a few reasons why some extinct animals resemble living animals.

1. Convergent evolution: This occurs when two different groups of animals evolve similar traits independently of each other. For example, the saber-toothed cat and the thylacine both evolved long, sharp teeth, even though they are not closely related. This is because both animals evolved these traits in order to better hunt their prey.

2. Parallel evolution: This occurs when two closely related groups of animals evolve similar traits independently of each other. For example, the horse and the deer both evolved long legs and hooves, even though they are not descended from a common ancestor that had these traits. This is because both animals evolved these traits in order to better run and escape from predators.

3. Stasis: This occurs when a species does not evolve much over a long period of time. For example, the coelacanth, a fish that was thought to have gone extinct 66 million years ago, was rediscovered in 1938 and looks almost exactly the same as it did when it was first discovered. This is because the coelacanth has not evolved much over the past 66 million years.

4. Atavism: This occurs when a species reverts to an earlier evolutionary state. For example, the Atacama giant, a human skeleton found in the Atacama Desert in Chile, had several features that are more similar to those of our ape-like ancestors than to those of modern humans. This is because the Atacama giant may have been a human that evolved back to a more ape-like state.

These are just a few of the reasons why some extinct animals resemble living animals. It is fascinating to think about the complex evolutionary processes that have led to the diversity of life on Earth.