homologous structures
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.
Homologous structures are similar structures that are found in different species, which suggests that they are inherited from a common ancestor. These structures may have different functions in different organisms, but they share a similar internal structure and development.
For example, the forelimbs of mammals, birds, and reptiles are all homologous structures. Although they have evolved to function differently in each group, all of these forelimbs share similar bone structures and are each composed of the same basic set of bones.
The study of homologous structures can provide important insights into evolutionary relationships between different species, and can help scientists to reconstruct the evolutionary history of a group of organisms. Understanding homologous structures can also be useful in the field of comparative anatomy, as it can help scientists to identify patterns of similarity between different species.
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