What must be true of any organ described as vestigial?
A) It must be analogous to some feature in an ancestor.
B) It must be homologous to some feature in an ancestor.
C) It must be both homologous and analogous to some feature in an ancestor.
D) It need be neither homologous nor analogous to some feature in an ancestor.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The term "vestigial" refers to a structure or organ that has lost most or all of its original function over the course of evolutionary history, but remains in the organism due to its presence in ancestors. Homology refers to structures that have a common evolutionary origin, and vestigial structures are homologous to structures in ancestors, but have lost their original function. Analogy refers to structures that have a similar function, but do not have a common evolutionary origin. Therefore, vestigial structures need to be homologous to some feature in an ancestor, making choice B the correct answer.

What Must Be True of Any Organ Described as Vestigial