What is analogous anatomy?

1 Answer
Dec 1, 2017

Analogous means that something is comparable to something else, which is used a lot in evolution. So really it could be called comparative anatomy.

Explanation:

The evolution theory in biology says that structures in many species of life have the same purpose but are evolved separately. So two animals have the same type of structures with the same function, but are not from the same ancestor millions of years ago.

Examples:
Birds have wings, and insects have wings, but birds and insects, according to evolution, have different ancestors.

Fish have fins, and whales have similar flippers, but they do not have the same ancestors.

Bats and birds both have wings, but not the same ancestors.

Both a duck and a platypus lay eggs and have a bill, but they have different ancestors as a platypus is a mammal.