One explanation for the evolution of insect wings suggests that wings began as lateral extensions of the body that were used as heat dissipaters for thermoregulation. When they had become sufficiently large, these extensions became useful for gliding through the air, and selection later refined them as flight-producing wings. If this hypothesis is correct, modern insect wings could best be described as
A) adaptations.
B) mutations.
C) exaptations.
D) isolating mechanisms.
E) examples of natural selection's predictive ability.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hypothesis suggests that insect wings evolved from lateral extensions of the body that initially had a different function (thermoregulation). Therefore, modern insect wings could be considered exaptations, which are structures that evolved for one purpose, but later became useful for another purpose through natural selection.

One Explanation for the Evolution of Insect Wings Suggests That