Common Ancestry

AP Biology· difficulty 1/5

The diagram compares forelimb skeletons across three mammals.

Human arm Whale flipper Bat wing

These structures are best classified as

  • A

    Vestigial - non-functional remnants

  • B

    Analogous - convergent evolution

  • C

    Homologous - common ancestry

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  • D

    Atavistic - reappearance of ancestral trait

Explanation

Despite different functions (grasping, swimming, flying), the bones share the same arrangement (humerus, radius/ulna, carpals, digits). This pattern indicates inheritance from a common ancestor - homology.

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