Analogous organs are the organs of different animals which have different basic structure but perform same function. For example, the wing of a bird and the wing of a butterfly have different structures but they perform similar function so they are analogous organs.
The wing of a bird is formed of bones which are covered by flesh, skin and feathers, while the wing of an insect is an extension of the integument. So the basic structure of wing of a bird and that of an insect are structurally different, but both of them are used for flying in air.
Thus the presence of analogous organs is an important evidence for the organic evolution as it indicates that even the different organisms have organs with different structures but they modified these organs to perform a similar function so as to survive in different environments.
Test Your Understanding and Answer These Questions:
- What are analogous organ.
- Name the analogous organs of three animals.
- How do analogous organ provide evidence for evolution?