Vestigiality
Vestigiality
Vestigiality (pronunciation: /vɛstɪˈdʒiːəlɪti/) refers to the retention during the process of evolution of genetically determined structures or attributes that have lost some or all of their ancestral function in a given species. The term is derived from the Latin word vestigium, meaning a footprint or a trace.
Etymology
The term "vestigial" comes from the Latin vestigium, meaning "footprint" or "trace". This term was first used in the biological context by Charles Darwin in his book "The Origin of Species" to describe certain biological structures that, while they had lost their original function, were still retained by organisms.
Related Terms
- Evolution: The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
- Atavism: The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance recombination of genes.
- Phenotype: The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.
- Genotype: The genetic constitution of an individual organism.
- Natural Selection: The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Vestigiality
- Wikipedia's article - Vestigiality
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