AP BIOLOGY

EVOLUTION

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Examples of analogous structures are
A
the tails of mice and rats
B
the limbs of humans and apes
C
the wings of bats and birds
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Complete answer: Bat and bird wings are examples of analogous structures. The wings of the bird are made up of feathers that extend all along the arm. However, the wings of bats consist of flaps of skin that stretch between the bones of the fingers but the wings of both organisms perform the similar function of flying.

Detailed explanation-2: -Bird and bat wings are analogous-that is, they have separate evolutionary origins, but are superficially similar because they have both experienced natural selection that shaped them to play a key role in flight. Analogies are the result of convergent evolution.

Detailed explanation-3: -For example, the wings of an insect, bird, and bat would all be analogous structures: they all evolved to allow flight, but they did not evolve at the same time, since insects, birds, and mammals all evolved the ability to fly at different times.

Detailed explanation-4: -The wings of birds, hands of humans, and wings of bats are examples of homologous organs. All the structures are similar but they perform different functions.

Detailed explanation-5: -Homologous Structures Example A great example of homologous structures are the wings of a bat and the arms of a human. Bats and humans are both mammals, so they share a common ancestry. Both a bat’s wing and a human’s arm share a similar internal bone structure, even though they look very different externally.

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