Question

6. What is the difference between homologous and analogous structures? Provide an example of each.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Homologous structures are similar in structure and origin, but not necessarily function, meaning they share a common ancestor. An example of homologous structures is the forelimbs of mammals, such as the arms of humans, the wings of bats, and the flippers of whales.

Analogous structures, on the other hand, are similar in function and appearance, but do not share a common ancestor. They evolve independently in different species to serve similar purposes. An example of analogous structures is the wings of birds and the wings of insects, which both evolved for flight but have different structures and origins.