However, the perching ducks turned out to be a paraphyletic assemblage of various tropical waterfowl that happened to evolve the ability to perch well in their forested habitat.

Then, more than 2.2 billion years ago, one group, the cyanobacteria, evolved the ability to use sunlight to break down water, making nutrients and liberating oxygen.

Snapping turtles have evolved the ability to snap because unlike other turtles, they are too large to hide in their own shells when confronted.

At some point this parasite evolved the ability to infect the liver.

Many microfungi in biological soil crusts have adapted to the intense light conditions by evolving the ability to produce melanin.