Question

Exit Some whales have an underdeveloped hipbone. The hip bone is present in the anatomy but does not have any particular function in the whales' locomotion. The presence of this vestigial hip bone in a whale suggests that

A. the same homologous structure may be found in humans.
B. a mutation in the whales' DNA caused the formation of a useless skeletal structure.
C. the whales may acquire the ability to live on land before the end of their lifetime.
D. the hip bone may have played an important role in the whales' ancestors locomotion.

Answer 1

D. The hip bone may have played an important role in the whales' ancestors' locomotion.

Answer 2

The correct answer is D. The hip bone may have played an important role in the whales' ancestors locomotion.

Step-by-step explanation:

Vestigial structures such as the vestigial hip bone in whales refer to structures or features that do not have a function or purpose and therefore are classified as vestigial. In most cases, these structures had an important function in the past but due to evolution and changes in the species, they stop being functional. This means even though the vestigial hip bone of whales does not represent a function nowadays it may have played an important role or function for the ancestors of this species (option D).