Analogous structures — Science definition
Body parts that perform a similar function and may look alike but do not share a recent common origin — such as the wings of insects and birds — resulting from convergent evolution.
Where it is taught
- Evidence for Evolution — Evolution, Ancestry & Biodiversity, Life Science: Biology, Grade 10
In use
Contrast that with analogous structures, like a bird's wing and an insect's wing: both fly, but they are built on completely different plans, so their similarity reflects convergent evolution to a shared task, not shared ancestry.
Evidence for Evolution
Questions using analogous structures
Problem 1
Answer and explanation
Homologous structures share the same underlying anatomical plan because of a common ancestor, even if they now have different functions (like a human arm and a bat wing). Analogous structures share only a function and are built differently (like a bird wing and an insect wing), arising from convergent evolution. Only homologous structures are evidence of common ancestry.