In the human embryo, structures vaguely resembling gills emerge early but transform into facial muscles, middle ear bones, and other structures.This seems to support which hypothesis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hypothesis "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" suggests that the development of an organism (ontogeny) passes through stages resembling the evolutionary history of its species (phylogeny). The presence of gill-like structures in human embryos, which later develop into other structures, supports this hypothesis by indicating that embryonic development mirrors the evolutionary history of the species.

In the Human Embryo, Structures Vaguely Resembling Gills Emerge Early