Question

Why is it important to make sure you use homologous characters rather than analogous characters to make phylogenetic trees?

ii)  Give examples from molecular and anatomical studies of the consequences of mistaken homology

Answer 1

The stronger evidence of evolution is always homologous organs.

Justification:

• Althogh homologous structures might not always look similiar but embryological origin is same, function might differ according to adaptation of species
• it explains common ancestry between two species.
• Whereas analogous structures looks similiar since they support a common function or they have evolved those structures under similiar adaptations but that does not mean they have common ancestors

Example of a commonly mistaken homology(anatomically):

was the wings of bat and that of birds. Although they look similiar and serve the same purpose of aiding flight bats belong to maamals and birds are aves . Wings are analogous structures. Different origin , common function