Analogous structures are a result of:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Convergent evolution
Option (1) Convergent evolution — Correct. Analogous structures are different in structure but do the same job, like the wings of a butterfly and of a bird. Living in similar habitats has made them look alike.
Option (2) Divergent evolution — Incorrect. Divergent evolution gives homologous structures: the same basic structure changed for different uses, as in the forelimbs of whales, bats, cheetahs and humans. It shows common ancestry.
Option (3) Parallel evolution — Incorrect. Parallel evolution describes related groups that start from a similar plan and change in the same direction. Analogous organs, such as the wings of a butterfly and of a bird, come from unrelated plans, so the term that fits them is convergence.
Option (4) Retrogressive evolution — Incorrect. Retrogressive evolution means that an organism becomes simpler over time and loses structures it once had, as in many parasites. It explains the loss of organs, not two different organs looking alike.
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NCERT Extract:
What Are the Evidences for Evolution? – “… Homology is based on divergent evolution whereas analogy refers to a situation exactly opposite. Wings of butterfly and of birds look alike. They are not anatomically similar structures though they perform similar functions. Hence, analogous structures are a result of convergent evolution - different structures evolving for the same function and hence having similarity. Other examples of analogy are the eye of the octopus and of mammals or the flippers of Penguins and Dolphins.”