Question

Prove the organic evolution on the basis of comparative anatomy and morphology.

Answer 1

Different animals and plants show dissimilarities in their structure but in some characters, they show similarities. These similarities are of two types, homology and analogy.

Homology – The similarity based on common origin and embryonic development is called homology. The organs which have a common origin, embryonic development and same basic structure but perform different functions are called Homologous organ. For example, (i) Forelimbs of Mammals – Horse, Bat, Whale, Seal, Man. It is due to divergent evolution.

Analogy – It is a similarity in organs based on similar function. Organs which have a different origin but have a similar function are called Analogous organs. For example, (i) Wings of bat & birds are analogous to wings of insects. Development of similar adaptive functional structures in unrelated groups of organisms is called convergent evolution.