Question

Wings of an insect and a bird are example of

• A. Analogous organs
• B. Vestigial organs
• C. Homologous organs
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is A Analogous organs

Analogous organs are the opposite of homologous organs, which have similar functions but different origins. An example of an analogous trait would be the wings of insects, bats and birds that evolved independently in each lineage separately after diverging from an ancestor without wings. The wings of insects originate from the inner or outer surface of the insect’s body. Feathers of birds originate from their forelimbs, and the wings of bats originate from both the forelimb and the membranous skin of the abdomen.

Another example of analogous animals is sugar gliders and flying squirrels. These two animals can glide in air using their gliding wings. Both species are different from each other in many ways. The flying squirrel is placental mammals, whereas sugar gliders are marsupial mammals like kangaroos. To adapt a common function, the flying squirrel and sugar glider evolved similar gliding wings.