AP BIOLOGY

EVOLUTION

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?
A
the wings of a red-tailed hawk
B
the hind limbs of a house cat
C
the fins of sharks
D
the tailbone of a human
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Wisdom teeth, Male nipples, coccyx (the tailbone) are all vestigial organs in humans. Nictitating membrane, body hair, appendix, pinna are few more examples of vestigial organs.

Detailed explanation-2: -Called “vestigial structures", these things no longer retain a specific purpose but remind us of where we’ve come from. One example is the tailbone – known as the coccyx.

Detailed explanation-3: -In humans, the appendix is a good example of a vestigial organ. This non-functioning organ eventually degenerates, shrinking in size and disappearing ultimately.

Detailed explanation-4: -The tail bone of humans is an example of a vestigial structure. A vestigial structure is a structure that has no function in an organism.

Detailed explanation-5: -Tail bone in mammals is vestigial while other animals use their tails for balance, when humans began to walk, the tail became useless and evolved into the coccyx (united vertebrae).

There is 1 question to complete.