The following diagram shows the bone structure of a whale flipper and a bat wing. Which of the following suggests that these two structures are homologous rather than analogous?
A)Both the flipper and the wing contain five fingerlike bone projections.
B)The flipper is formed from the entire front appendage of the whale, but the wing is only formed from the hand part of the front appendage of the bat.
C)The bones that form the five fingerlike projections in the flipper have much thicker bones than the bones that form these projections in the bat.
D)The flipper of the whale contains more bones than the wing of the bat.

Question

The following diagram shows the bone structure of a whale flipper and a bat wing. Which of the following suggests that these two structures are homologous rather than analogous? 
A)Both the flipper and the wing contain five fingerlike bone projections. 
B)The flipper is formed from the entire front appendage of the whale, but the wing is only formed from the hand part of the front appendage of the bat. 
C)The bones that form the five fingerlike projections in the flipper have much thicker bones than the bones that form these projections in the bat. 
D)The flipper of the whale contains more bones than the wing of the bat.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of five fingerlike bone projections in both structures suggests they have a common ancestral origin and are therefore homologous. This is in contrast to analogous structures, which may serve a similar function but have evolved independently and do not share a common ancestor with similar structures in other organisms. The other options (B, C, and D) are not sufficient to suggest homology.

The Following Diagram Shows the Bone Structure of a Whale