What are Vestigial Organs?
Vestigial Organs are parts of the body or cells that have stopped working during evolution but are still present in modern creatures. In the human body, certain organs that were once useful to our ancestral species are no longer needed by current species. However, this phenomenon is not exclusive to humans but is seen in many other organisms. Such organs that fail to develop and evolve during the evolution of the organism resulting in their loss of function are considered as vestigial organs.
Vestigial Organs – Definition, Features, Importance, List of Vestigial Organs
Vestigial Organs are one of the most prominent pieces of evidence of the evolutionary process. They are the remnants of the evolutionary past. The presence of vestigial organs shows that evolution may result in loss of function of certain organs. Vestigial organs are proof of the redundancy of certain anatomical structures in the process of adaptation of an organism to changing environmental conditions.
Vestigial organs in humans are the appendix and coccyx which in due course of time and the evolution of human anatomy have become non-functional yet present in the body. Other vestigial organs examples are sinuses, eye membranes, tonsils, etc.
Table of Content
- What are Vestigial Organs?
- Key Features of Vestigial Structures
- Vestigial Organs Evolution
- Vestigial Structures Examples
- Conclusion – Vestigial Organs
- FAQs – Vestigial Organs