AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Homologous structures provide evidence for common ancestry, while analogous structures show that similar selective pressures can produce similar adaptations (beneficial features). Similarities and differences among biological molecules (e.g., in the DNA sequence of genes) can be used to determine species’ relatedness.

Detailed explanation-2: -Explanation: When parts of an animal serve different functions but have similar placement and bone structure (such as a wolf forearm and a whale flipper) and are derived from a common ancestor, these two structures are homologous.

Detailed explanation-3: -The flippers in whales and the wings in the birds are referred to as homologous because these organs have arisen through divergent evolution. These organisms, therefore, have a common ancestor.

Detailed explanation-4: -A common example of homologous structures in evolutionary biology are the wings of bats and the arms of primates. Although these two structures do not look similar or have the same function, genetically, they come from the same structure of the last common ancestor.