Question

Beetles and hummingbirds have wings, but these organisms are not related to one another. The fact that they both have wings is an example of ______.

O a homology
O a shared derived trait
O a unique derived trait
O an analogy

Answer 1

Beetles and hummingbirds having wings is an example of an analogy, highlighting convergent evolution where analogous structures evolve independently in unrelated species due to environmental pressures. Therefore, the correct option is D.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fact that both beetles and hummingbirds have wings despite not being closely related is an example of an analogy. This occurrence represents convergent evolution, where similar traits like the capacity for flight evolve independently in species that do not share a common ancestry. As such, the wings of insects and birds are considered analogous structures because they serve the same function and have superficially similar forms, but do not share a common embryonic origin. On the contrary, homologous structures share a similar embryonic origin, which is not the case here. Convergent evolution demonstrates how similar environmental pressures can result in similar adaptations in different species.