Wings of birds and bats are considered analogous structures because they have
common origin and common function
different origin and common function
common origin and different function
different origin and different function
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This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2020
Wings of birds and bats are considered analogous structures because they have different origin and common function.
Analogous structures are features in different species that perform the same function but have evolved independently from different ancestors. This is a result of convergent evolution, where different organisms adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. Bird wings evolved from forelimbs of reptilian ancestors, while bat wings evolved from the forelimbs of mammalian ancestors, and their skeletal structures are fundamentally different, reflecting their distinct evolutionary paths. However, both structures serve the purpose of flight. Homologous structures, in contrast, have a common evolutionary origin but may have different functions (e.g., the forelimbs of humans, bats, whales, and birds all originated from a common tetrapod ancestor but are used for different activities like grasping, flying, swimming).