Chapter 21, Problem 11STP

Summary Introduction

To write:

The relationship between bat wings and monkey arms and the importance of this relationship for the classification of organisms.

Introduction:

Fossils have some of the most important evidence of evolutionary transition. Fossils have a record of the animals that have existed for a long time. Fossils demonstrate that ancient species share similarities with animals that are now living on Earth. The fossil record is an important source of information for determining the ancestry of organisms and the patterns of evolution.

Explanation of Solution

Bat wings and monkey arms are example of homologous structures. The anatomically similar structures inherited from common ancestor are called homologous structures. Evolution assumes that the body parts of an organism are more likely to be alterations to ancestral body parts than are completely new features. The limbs of various species move in different ways, but they share a common structure. Though bat used their wings to fly and monkey used their arms to walk, bat wings and monkey arms are similar in shape and construction, which indicates that they were inherited from a common ancestor.

Conclusion

Thus, the homologous structure of bat wings and monkey arms shows the relationship between two different species.