Difference between revisions of "Vestigial Structures"

Latest revision as of 13:27, June 13, 2008

Redirect to:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Vestigial organs are those which resemble organs in other species but which are too small to be functionally useful.  Examples include rear legs in some snakes<ref>[http://www.esconi.org/Karen_Komments_PDF/KK6-June2006.pdf Report on fossil snake with lizard-like features and legs]</ref> and whales<ref>[http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/PDF/3.%20Whale%20Skeleton%20Activity.pdf Diagram of blue whale skeleton, showing "leg" bones]</ref>, the appendix in humans and wings in flightless birds such as ostriches or kiwi.
+#REDIRECT [[Vestigial structures]]
-Visitigial organs are claimed to be strong evidence in favor of evolution - ostriches, for instance, would be claimed to have evolved from a flying ancestor which no longer needed to fly, and so in subsequent generations the wings shrunk until they were no longer capable of flight.
-Creationists usually claim that vestigial organs aren't really useless at all - for instance, in ostriches the wings might be used for balance or sexual display.  However, it is hard to extend this explanation to internal leg bones in right whales, or the near-invisible wings of the kiwi.
-==References==
-<references/>