Dave,
I will provide a little correction to your comment about: "does not necessarily
indicate the species are related in any way". The family level is an
abstraction, as are all taxonomic units. All living things are related in a
way. We don't know if life started more than once. Even though many taxonomic
groups are easy to define, such as this is a bird or an insect, etc. Actually
when it comes to small dinosaurs, it gets pretty difficult to define what is a
bird.
Yes similarities may be convergent but going beyond that thought, they are all
related, it just depends how for back or how far down the tree you go.
Silvereyes are not classified in the same family as honeyeaters but are in the
same order, so have a common ancestor early in passerine history. Penguins are
not classified in the same order as honeyeaters but are in the same class, so
have a common ancestor early in bird history. People are not classified in the
same class as honeyeaters but are in the same phylum, so have a common ancestor
early in chordate history. Wattle trees are not classified in the same kingdom
as honeyeaters but are in the same set comprising living things. Whilst most of
our genetic material is the same as that of apes, there is still some of our
genetic systems are close to that of plants and fungi etc.
Philip
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