Would evolution on another Earth-like planet be very similar to our own?

Credit: Pixabay

We often imagine alien lifeforms as being widely different to our own.

But if life had emerged on another Earth-like planet with similar environmental conditions, such as large oceans and regular seasons, would it not be sensible to think that life might take similar paths to the evolution of species on our planet?

Is the current variety of species on Earth all that random, or could it be an almost inevitable consequence of the survival of the fittest?

If the history of our planet was repeated all over again from the moment it cooled down, would life be all that different than what we know?

Could life on another Earth-like planet actually be very similar to what it is, has been or will be on our planet?

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