Why does a whale possess vestigial pelvic bones?
- A
Vestigial bones are evidence against common ancestry
- Bcheck_circle
Whales evolved from terrestrial tetrapod ancestors that had functional pelvises
- C
Whales developed pelvic bones de novo from selection pressure
- D
The bones serve a primary structural role in swimming
Explanation
Vestigial structures are remnants of features that were functional in ancestors. Cetacean ancestors were terrestrial mammals with hind limbs and pelvises; whales today retain reduced, non-functional pelvic bones as evidence of that ancestry.