Monferno has often been used by pokemon professors far from Sinnoh as a demonstration of convergent evolution. Although few pokemon are unique in typing or possess even a single unique attack, Monferno in particular even before the scientific era have often been called a chimera designed by Arceus – an Aipom with a Pignite's fists and a Charmander's tail.
A Monferno's tail bears a remarkable resemblance to that of Charmander, and Charmander famously die whenever their tail flame goes out. Many travelers from Kanto have watched in helpless horror as they saw their first Monferno extinguish their own flames, thinking they were witnessing a suicide, then found themselves confused and relieved when the Monferno finished and remained as energetic and alive as ever. Tail flames in both these pokemon are used to warm the air and eliminate excess body heat, but here the similarity ends. Were Monferno ectothermic like the Charmander, they too would die without their flames, but they possess thick, coarse fur and are capable of surviving colder temparatures than any other fire pokemon. As for a Pignite's fists, fists of flame are not unique to Pignite, and the evolutionary benefits of powerful fists in a climate full of ice, rock, and dark pokemon should be obvious. But few pokemon combine fire and fighting attacks so effectively, and both these pokemon's fiery fists burn brighter when they are badly injured, a trait shared by few fighting pokemon. And the Aipom resemblance is not a convergence; they are believed to be Monferno's closest living relative.
Monferno filled a similar ecological niche to the Pignite and Charmander – one which in Kanto, Sinnoh, and Unova alike could not survive the rise of man. When the world changes dramatically, convergent evolution often means simultaneous extinction.
