Example of Homologous Structure
Structure of Forelimbs of Mammals
The forelimbs of mammals are a very important Homologous Structure. Scientists found a clear relationship by studying the forelimbs. An example can be drawn by taking reference to the forelimbs of Humans, Horse & Bat. The forelimbs can act different functions for different animals. Like the Human use their forelimbs to grab anything. The forelimbs of the Horse are used to run. And the forelimbs of the Bat are used to fly. The functions of the forelimbs are different. But the anatomical structure is the same. All the forelimbs are made with the same set of bones. There are five bones. These are Humerus, Radius, Ulna, Carpal, and Metacarpal. In every forelimb these five bones are present. So, they are the Homologous Structure.
Beak of Birds
Every bird has a beak. The beaks are made with bones. The anatomical structure is the same for all the birds. The same number of bones are required to make a beak of a bird. But they don’t perform the same functions all the time. Like the Woodpecker and the Crow have the beak. But the function is not the same. The Woodpeckers use their beak to make a hole in the wood of the trees. From there, they find their food. But the beak of the crow uses to hold many things. The beak of Crow is used for normal purposes. Also, some birds’ beak is different from each other. Depending upon the food they usually take, the beak structure pattern changes. So, the beak of birds is also an example of Homologous Structure.
What are Homologous Structures?
Evolution is a continuous process of nature. Any species need to upgrade itself. Thus it can able to survive in a continuously changing environment. This change always occurred in a positive direction. This means after the changing of a creature, they became more developed than the previous version. Evolution works in such a way. It takes millions & millions of years to complete a process. Some scientists believe that Evolution is a never-ending process. It g-oes running for an infinite time. During this process, a creature will be always developed. There are many structures developed during the evolution process of certain species. Homologous Structure is one of them.