Homologous structures are very important when discussing the theory of evolution. Homologous structures are structures in organisms that are shared by related species that were inherited from common ancestors. Examples of this type of structure are present in the bones of humans, cats, whale flippers, and bat wings. The limbs from cats, whales, and bats all similarly relate to the bones of the human arm. The large upper arm bone called the humerus on humans, is present in cats, whales, and bats which shows that it was inherited from …show more content…
Analogous structures allow species to share body parts that have common functions, but they are not created in the same exact structure. Wings of bees and wings of birds are examples of analogous structures. Bee and bird wings both allow the organism to fly through the air, but their image in not perfectly the same. They are both created for the purpose of flight, but bird wings are much stronger and larger than wings of a bee. Another example of analogous structures in evolution is sharks and dolphins. Both of their outside appearances look similar, due to coloration, fin placement, and their general body shape but they are classified as different species. Despite the striking similarities, sharks are considered fish whereas dolphins are mammals. This shows that sharks descend from ancestors that have always lived underwater, hence the use of gills. Dolphins breathe air by using lungs which relates them closer to animals that live above the