In Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species, he referred to a number of “vestiges” in human anatomy that he posited are remnants left over from the course of our species’ development over time. Darwin suggested that these vestigial organs are evidence of evolution and represent functions that were once necessary for our survival, but have since had their role drastically diminished or even eliminated altogether. This concept formed the basis for the idea of common descent which predicts that organisms should retain these vestigial organs as structural remnants of lost functions. The following are 10 examples of vestigial organs that have shed some light on where we came from and where we’re heading on the evolutionary road.
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