Rudiments and atavisms - proof of evolution?

Materialists see proof of evolution in rudiments and atavisms. Rudiments (lat. rudimentum- germ, initial stage) materialists call organs that have fewer capabilities compared to similar organs in other creatures, which is perceived as the loss of their main meaning over time. For example, many birds fly with the help of wings, and ostriches use their wings to maintain balance on the run, shake off insects, courtship dances, etc. One of the most famous human rudiments is the coccyx, taken as the remainder of the tail. The term atavism has now fallen out of scientific use, but it continues to be used outside of academia. Under atavism (lat. atavismus, from atavis- ancestor) is understood as the presence in an individual of signs characteristic of supposedly distant ancestors. For example, in humans, it is hairline on parts of the body where it is usually absent, including the face.

At first glance, especially if one believes in evolution, rudiments and atavisms may well serve as confirmation of Darwin's theory. However, they are well explained by the concept of creation.

Along with the growth in popularity of the theory of evolution in the second half of the 19th century, the interest in everything that confirmed it in one way or another increased. Already widely known at that time, Charles Darwin in his book The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection (1871) listed a number of organs that he classified as rudimentary. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, many scientists enthusiastically looked for "unnecessary" organs in the human body. And they were delighted that there were a lot of them - about two hundred. However, over time, their list began to thin out, since the useful properties of organs were established: some produced the necessary hormones, others entered into work under certain external conditions, others were needed at a certain stage of the development of the organism, the fourth acted as a reserve ... Therefore, most likely , soon the concept of rudiment will be revised. Here is what, for example, is written about the coccyx in the Wikipedia encyclopedia: “The coccyx has a rather important functional significance. The anterior parts of the coccyx serve to attach muscles and ligaments… In addition, the coccyx plays a role in the distribution of physical load on the anatomical structures of the pelvis, serving as an important fulcrum… when a seated person is tilted.” And here is what you can read about the appendix in the same place: “The appendix is ​​... a kind of“ farm ”where beneficial microorganisms multiply ... The appendix plays a saving role in preserving the microflora.”

That is, organs that are considered rudiments each play their own role in the functioning of the body. Try to take the ostrich's wings. Will he be better or worse without them? The answer is obvious: wings, although they are less functional than those of flying birds, are necessary for an ostrich. If the organism needs the rudiments, this means that they do not prove evolution! Now, if in our body found at all unnecessary elements, as the remnants of the development from simple to complex, then this would be a weighty confirmation of Darwin's theory. However, all creatures have an optimal functional structure; each of them is harmonious and aesthetic in its own way, pointing to the Author who created them.

As for atavisms, they are a different story. The fact is that this term is no longer entirely scientific and therefore not completely unambiguous. Let's take hair as an example. They play an important role in the "work" of the skin. The sweat and sebaceous glands are located next to the hair follicle. The excretory ducts of part of the sweat and most sebaceous glands come to the surface of the skin along with the hair. Sebum prevents the development of microorganisms, softens the skin and gives it elasticity. However, if a person’s body is covered with hair, then materialists call such a pathology atavism and associate it with heredity from distant ancestors. Why? Yes, because monkeys and many other animals are completely covered with wool. But wool, although similar to human hair, is significantly different from them. Excessive hairiness of people is simply a disease well known to physicians under the name of hypertrichosis. Echoes of our animal past include additional underdeveloped nipples, which are sometimes found in humans. Although these nipples are clearly human, not cow or monkey. Also, some materialists consider the “tail” to be an atavism - an elongation in the coccyx area that is rare in people. But in fact, such outgrowths from the human body are not a tail, like the tails of animals. This elongation is a tumor, growth, or cyst. That is, it is a disease, often known as the coccygeal passage.

At the same time, for some reason, materialists are not embarrassed by the fact that there are no people with scales, gills, wings, feathers and fins. And for some reason, evolutionists do not claim that humans had, for example, six-fingered, five-pointed, and two-headed ancestors, although people with similar deviations are sometimes born into the world. That is, we see a strange picture: materialists consider some congenital deformities and anomalies of development, supposedly similar to our ancestors, to be related to them, that is, atavisms. And many other defects, including internal ones, which do not have an obvious similarity with the alleged progenitors, are called deviations associated with disturbances in the functioning of the body. Although it is clear that in both cases the cause of pathologies is a genetic or hormonal failure, which can be caused by a variety of external factors. But, it is convenient for materialists to apply to a number of defects not the concept of disease, defect or anomaly, but the term atavism, since it fits into the theory of evolution.

Despite the partial similarity, all living beings are unique and perfect in their own way, which is an excellent proof of creation - we are created by an intelligent Creator. And the fact that a number of organs are similar in different living beings indicates that we have one Creator! He designed his creations for different conditions and for different tasks, but at the same time successful “architectural” and functional solutions were used and repeated, taking into account specific nuances. Of course, there are people who are trying to find flaws in the organisms of living beings - imperfections. However, their claims to the Creator are easy to verify - you just need to surgically correct the found "imperfection" and follow the further life of the operated being under different external conditions, comparing it with the unoperated one.

A lot of people around the world are interested in the evidence for evolution. Since childhood, each of us has been surrounded by a variety of people - from believing Christians to fans of fantastic stories about aliens and other categories of citizens who attribute the most amazing origin stories to humans.

In practice, few people are able to accept the simple idea that a person is a creation of nature, and, like any other organism on the planet, developed gradually from simpler forms to the one in which it exists now.

On this topic, the most fierce disputes constantly arise, in which each theory finds its fans. But it is worth unambiguously recognizing the fact that it is the admirers of the theory of evolution who have the most trump cards in their hands, and only they are able to provide truly scientific and fully substantiated confirmation of their view on this issue.

Evidence for evolution is plentiful and constantly updated. It is very, very difficult to argue with them. Let's consider all this in more detail.

Embryological evidence for evolution

A group of evidence for the correctness of the theory of evolution, which are derived from observations of the development of the fetus of an unborn child, are called embryological evidence. In the middle of the 19th century, scientists noticed that at different stages of the formation of the human body in the womb, it is very similar to other, simpler forms of life on earth.

Human embryo (6 weeks)

For example, at the beginning of his development, a person has the rudiments of gills, characteristic of creatures living in water; a very specific tail is observed in the body, which in the future is simply covered by other tissues, remaining with a person in the form of a coccyx for life; the embryo has only one circuit for the circulation of blood, which is also characteristic of the lower development of beings.

Example. The early state of the middle ear system turned out to be a late stage in the degeneration of the lower jaw of reptiles.

It has been noted that in its embryonic development the fetus goes through conditions that largely associate it with various systematic groups of creatures, gradually narrowing down to more specific classes, orders, families, genera, and last of all approaches its native species - homo sapiens.

The embryonic evidence is already quite telling in itself and fully supports the theory of evolution. But their problem is that they are available for scientific observation and understanding mainly by scientists and more educated people close to them. Therefore, it can be difficult to break through a simple person with them.

Comparative Anatomical Evidence for Evolution

The group of evidence for evolution, which is based on the similarity of certain parts of the body and characteristics of man with other animals and his alleged ancestors, is called comparative anatomical.

This group is divided into such narrower sections:

1. Vestigial organs. These are those parts of the body of our species that were important for distant ancestors, but now they have lost their relevance and are not used for any actions and processes. An example is appendicitis. This is a classic rudiment that a person does not need at all in life and he inherited from the ancestors of mammals, in whom he played the role of the caecum. Exactly the same rudiment is the Falcon - the remnant of the tail, which gradually decreased and was eventually completely hidden. There are cases when people were born with an enlarged calf, which looked like a real tail, though small in size. It had to be removed by surgery.
2. homologous organs. Various animals and humans have a lot of organs and systems that are almost identical in structure, but in the process of evolutionary development could acquire a slightly different appearance. Such organs have exactly the same origin and a similar device. An example is the wings of a bat and the human hand, the flippers of a whale, which have the same bones and functional parts.
3. similar organs. Another group of evidence, the essence of which is that many human and animal organs have completely different evolutionary origins, but ultimately play the same role. For example, the eyes of mollusks develop from an extension of the ectodermal layer, while in vertebrates the eyes are derived from the lateral branches of the brain.
4. Another large group of comparative anatomical evidence is atavisms. Atavisms are the characteristics of a person that return him to the features of his ancestors. Examples are excessive hairiness, which refers us to monkeys; more than two nipples on the human chest, which is reminiscent of kinship with other mammals; some people can move their ears like animals, and much more.

Comparative anatomical facts are quite telling and do not even require serious justification. After all, it is enough for us to see a person whose physiognomy is very similar to a gorilla, thoughts about evolution begin to suggest themselves.

Biogeographic evidence for evolution

Biogeography studies the development of existing life forms in different parts of the planet, on different continents, living in the most dissimilar conditions and climates. With the help of such studies, it is possible to reveal an interesting pattern - creatures living in the same climate, but on different parts of the earth, can differ significantly.

This is direct evidence that everywhere the game of evolution is quite unpredictable, and it gives rise to the most diverse variants of living beings in a chaotic creative mess.

This can be observed both in representatives of the plant world and in animals. The essence of this type of evidence boils down to pointing out that the animal and plant world of the entire planet originates at one point, but later, as a result of migration and isolation of groups from each other, they evolved in different ways.

An example is cichlid fish in Lake Malawi, where the water is clean and clear, they are purple or blue in color, and in Lake Victoria, where the water is muddy, they are yellow. So this species adapted to living conditions.

Paleontological evidence for evolution

Paleontology has made a huge contribution to the development of the theory of evolution, as it is engaged in the search and study of the remains of ancient organisms.

The findings of scientists once again prove that man and other modern creatures have a lot of similarities with their extinct ancestors, a similar structure of the skeleton, some of its parts have been changed. Something goes out of uselessness, something appears, but there is always a connection between the ancestor and the modern organism.

The big problem of paleontology is the discovery of transitional forms. There is a scandal when the fidelity of evolution was called into question by the fact that the intermediate link between ape and man has not yet been discovered. An example is the evolution of cetaceans, which has been studied step by step by paleontologists.

Morphological evidence

This group of evidence comes down to comparing the appearance of organisms and looking for similarities between them. For example, comparing the skulls of different types of monkeys and humans, you can find a lot of similar and even common characteristics between them.

Morphophysiological facts can be so obvious that trying to dispute them is simply stupid and completely pointless.

Biochemical evidence

More subtle studies that are carried out at the level of cells, DNA, further confirm the unity of all living organisms on earth. Interestingly, this applies not only to animals, but also to plants. Do you think this plays an important role in proving evolution?

In nature, there are about 100 different nucleotides, but in the DNA of absolutely any organism there are only 4 of them. Of the almost 400 types of amino acids available on the planet, only the same 22 amino acids can be found in the protein of any organism.

Any comparative table will show that all living organisms are largely composed of the same chemical set, although the surrounding diversity is much greater.

An example is that the metabolism of all organisms occurs along the same pathway, using the same enzymes.

Relic evidence

Whoever lacks all of the above, including biographical, chemical and other facts, can turn to relict evidence, which lies in the fact that even now on earth there are some types of organisms that were inherent in a very ancient world.

Examples. On the islands in New Zealand, you can find an amazing animal - a hatteria, which is very similar to dinosaurs that lived 70-80 million years ago. The ginkgo tree is another example and has been around for about 150 million years.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, we note that cytological, molecular genetic, paleontological and other studies directly indicate the correctness of the theory of evolution and its complete adequacy in relation to reality. Many people do not want to accept this point of view and have every right to do so.

One way or another, but evolution is a reality, already proven by millions of facts and just common sense and observation, and perhaps in the future it will triumph on a much larger scale than now.

Question 1. Prove the existence of evolution from the point of view of embryology.

All multicellular organisms capable of sexual reproduction develop from a single fertilized egg. At the same time, the similarity of the early stages of embryo formation with those in quite distant (from the point of view of evolutionary relationship) groups of organisms is clearly visible. The embryo in its development repeats the stages of the embryonic development of ancestral forms, and the closer the relationship of two species (taxa), the more stages coincide. For example, in all embryos of birds and mammals, a two-chambered heart is laid and gill slits characteristic of fish appear. Later, however, the differences between the mammalian embryo and the bird embryo increase. Even later than the differences between classes, signs characteristic of the genus and species begin to form. All this proves that organisms have a common evolutionary origin, which can be traced back to the embryonic stages.

Question 2. Tell us about the paleontological evidence of the evolutionary process.

In the process of studying the fossil remains of living organisms, the following patterns were established:

in the most ancient rocks, the diversity of organisms is small, it becomes the greater, the younger breeds we study;
older organisms have a relatively simple structure; the complication of organization also goes in the direction of younger deposits;
discovered a number of transitional forms between taxa, which are now clearly separated (beast-toothed lizards, Archeopteryx, etc.), which proves the origin of such taxa from common ancestors;
ancestral forms of many living species have been found.

Based on paleontological data, it was possible to establish how the phylogenesis (evolutionary development) of many groups of organisms took place. In some cases (horses, elephants) it was even possible to construct the so-called phylogenetic series - continuous sequences of ancestral forms.

Question 3. Which organs are called homologous, which are similar?

Homologous organs are formed in the process of embryonic development from the same rudiments and perform similar functions. An example of homologous organs are the limbs of all terrestrial vertebrates.

Similar organs have a different origin and structure, but are characterized by external similarity and perform the same functions. Examples include the limbs of a dog and the limbs of an ant, the wing of a butterfly and the wing of a bat.

Question 4. Give examples of similarities in the structure of organs in unrelated groups of animals living in the same conditions.

An example is the development of wings in organisms that have mastered the air habitat. The wings of butterflies and dragonflies are not related to the wings of birds and bats, although they perform the same functions. Other examples are the tail fins of sharks, dolphins, and ichthyosaurs; "shooting" tongues of a frog and a chameleon; octopus eye and human eye.

Question 5. What is the reason for the appearance of rudiments and atavisms? Why do they serve as evidence for the process of evolution?

Rudiments are organs that have lost their significance in the process of evolution. They are laid during embryogenesis, but do not fully develop. The reason for the presence of rudiments is that the ancestral forms had a need for the corresponding organs, but then it disappeared, and the organs underwent degeneration. The presence of rudiments is proof of the process of evolution, as a change in the structure of organs when environmental conditions change. Examples of rudiments are the third eyelid and ear muscles of humans, the remains of the pelvic girdle in snakes and cetaceans, the “eyes” of cave and underground animals.

Atavisms are signs that appear in individual individuals, characteristic of ancestral forms, but lost in the process of evolution. The cause of atavisms is the activation of normally blocked genes responsible for the development of such traits. Normally, these genes, inherited from the ancestors, do not appear. For example, a modern horse may develop a three-toed limb instead of a one-toed one. Atavisms are also found in humans, for example, an additional pair of mammary glands, a tail, and facial hair.

Rudiments and atavisms - proof of evolution?

Materialists see proof of evolution in rudiments and atavisms. Rudiments (lat. rudimentum - germ, initial stage) materialists call organs that have fewer capabilities compared to similar organs in other creatures, which is perceived as the loss of their main meaning over time. For example, many birds fly with the help of wings, and ostriches use their wings to maintain balance while running, shake off insects, courtship dances, etc. One of the most famous human rudiments is the coccyx, taken as the rest of the tail.

The term "atavism" has now fallen out of scientific use, but it continues to be used outside of academia. Atavism (lat. atavismus, from atavis - ancestor) is understood as the presence in an individual of signs characteristic of supposedly distant ancestors. For example, in humans, this is a hairline on parts of the body where it is usually absent.

At first glance, especially if one believes in evolution, rudiments and atavisms may well serve as confirmation of Darwin's theory. However, they are well explained by the concept of creation.

In the second half of the XIX century. along with the growth in popularity of the theory of evolution, interest in everything that confirmed it in one way or another increased. Already widely known at that time, Charles Darwin in his book The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection (1871) listed a number of organs that he classified as rudimentary. At the end of the XIX century. - the beginning of the XX century. many scientists enthusiastically looked for "unnecessary" organs in the human body. And they were delighted that there were a lot of them - about two hundred. However, over time, their list began to thin out, as their useful properties were established: some organs produced the necessary hormones, others came into operation under certain external conditions, others were needed at a certain stage of development of the organism, the fourth acted as a reserve. Therefore, most likely, the concept of "rudiment" will soon be revised.

Here is what, for example, is written about the coccyx in the Wikipedia encyclopedia: “The coccyx has a rather important functional significance. The anterior parts of the coccyx serve to attach muscles and ligaments... In addition, the coccyx plays a role in the distribution of physical load on the anatomical structures of the pelvis, serving as an important fulcrum... when a seated person is tilted. And here is what you can read about the appendix there: “The appendix is ​​... a kind of“ farm ”where beneficial microorganisms multiply ... The appendix plays a saving role in preserving microflora.”

Rice. Organs, which today are called rudiments, each play their own role in the functioning of the body.

That is, organs that are considered rudiments each play their own role in the functioning of the body. Try to take the ostrich's wings. Will this living creature be better or worse without them? The answer is obvious: wings, although they are less functional than those of flying birds, the ostrich needs. If the organism needs the rudiments, then they do not prove evolution! Now, if in our body found at all unnecessary elements as the remnants of the development "from simple to complex", then this would be a weighty confirmation of Darwin's theory. However, all creatures have an optimal functional structure, and each is harmonious in its own way, pointing to the Author who created it.

As for atavisms, that is a different story. The fact is that this term is no longer quite scientific, and therefore ambiguous. Let's take hair for example. They are needed for thermoregulation, protect against friction, microtrauma, irritation, diaper rash... They also play an important role in the functioning of the skin. The sweat and sebaceous glands are located next to the hair follicle. The excretory ducts of part of the sweat and most sebaceous glands come to the surface of the skin along with the hair. Sebum prevents the development of microorganisms, softens the skin and gives it elasticity. However, if a person’s entire body is covered with hair, then materialists call such a pathology atavism and associate it with distant ancestors. Why? Yes, because monkeys and many other animals are completely covered with wool. But wool, although similar to human hair, is significantly different from them. Excessive hairiness of people is simply a disease well known to physicians under the name of hypertrichosis.

Echoes of "our animal past" include additional underdeveloped nipples, which are sometimes found in humans. Although these nipples are clearly human, not cow or monkey. Also, some materialists consider the “tail” to be an atavism - an elongation in the coccyx area that is rare in people. But in fact, such outgrowths from the human body are not a tail, like the tails of animals. This elongation is a tumor, growth, or cyst. That is, it is a disease, often known as the coccygeal passage. At the same time, for some reason, materialists are not embarrassed by the fact that there are no people with scales, gills, wings, feathers and fins ... And for some reason, evolutionists do not claim that a person had, for example, six-fingered, three-legged and two-headed progenitors, although people are sometimes born with similar deviations.

That is, we see a strange picture: materialists explain some congenital deformities and anomalies of development, allegedly similar to the signs of our ancestors, kinship with them, that is, they consider them to be atavisms. And many other defects, including internal ones, which do not have an obvious similarity with the alleged progenitors, are called deviations associated with disturbances in the functioning of the body. Although it is clear that in both cases the cause of pathologies is a genetic or hormonal failure, which can be caused by a wide variety of external factors. But it is convenient for materialists to apply to a number of defects not the concepts of illness, vice or anomaly, but the term "atavism", since it fits into the theory of evolution.

Rice. What is often considered an atavism is an anomaly, not a legacy from animal progenitors.

Despite partial similarities, all living beings are unique and perfect in their own way, which is an excellent proof that we are created by an intelligent Creator. And the fact that in a number of organs of different living beings there is a similarity indicates that we have one Creator! He designed his creations for different conditions and for different tasks, but at the same time successful “architectural” and functional solutions were used and repeated, taking into account specific nuances.

Of course, there are people who try to find flaws and imperfections in the organisms of living beings. However, their claims to the Creator are easy to verify - it is enough to surgically correct the found “imperfection” and follow the further fate of the operated being in different external conditions, comparing it with the unoperated one.

Note that similar experiences have already taken place in history. Particularly zealous physicians since the beginning of the 20th century. began to "correct the mistakes of nature", surgically removing healthy, but, as it seemed to them, unnecessary and even dangerous organs from people. Thus, tens of thousands of people lost their large intestines, caecum, tonsils, appendix... This practice was stopped only when doctors became convinced of the negative consequences of their "good" activities.

As you can see, the concepts of “rudiments” and “atavisms” used by materialists do not prove evolution, since this question can be looked at from a completely different angle. It is obvious that the above creationist opinion scientifically validates the concept of creation.

A rudiment is an organ, the main meaning of which was lost in the process of evolutionary development of the organism. This concept also includes structures that are reduced and differ in lesser capabilities compared to the corresponding structures in other organisms. Rudimentary organs were thought to be completely useless, but many of them still perform some minor or relatively simple functions with structures that were most likely intended for more complex purposes.

Strange Gifts of Evolution

By the beginning of the 19th century, comparative anatomy, also known as comparative morphology, had developed as an independent biological discipline that considered the general patterns of development and structure of organs by comparing various types of living beings at different stages of embryogenesis. It has become an evidence base for the origin of man from other representatives of the animal world. Anatomists have identified the same organs in different organisms, differing in size and shape. Cases of the complete absence of some of them or relatively poor development compared to the same organs in other species have been observed. Underdeveloped organs began to be called rudimentary (from Latin rudimentum - "initial stage, germ"). They were seen as useless and on their way to extinction.

A rudiment is an organ that was laid in the course but eventually ceased to develop. In adult forms, it later remained in an underdeveloped state. Similar organs or their parts can be found in almost every species of animals and plants. Compared with homologous (similar) structures of similar organisms, they are either underdeveloped or lack some important component.

There are similar organs in our body. So, for example, wisdom teeth are a vestige of a person. These are also such organs as the third eyelid, or the epicanthus, the coccyx, the appendix of the ear muscles, which determine their mobility, the hairline on the trunk, limbs. In total, more than 100 of them can be counted in the human body. They are the remains of those organs that had a fully developed appearance in the corresponding ancestral form.

Evidence of the historical development of the organic world

Rudimentary organs, as a result of any changes in the environment, in the way of life of a certain species, lost their importance for survival and gradually ceased to function. We should not forget about the constantly occurring mutations, which led to a decrease in the size of various organs, a weakening of their functions. In the case of their considerable importance for survival, the organisms undergoing mutations were eliminated.

The structure, which is in the process of elimination, is referred to the concept of "rudiment". This is a peculiar process of evolution, which is based on mutations, hereditary changes in some individuals. In organisms with a slight development of the system of regulatory correlations (relationships), coadaptation of parts is slowly carried out. It passes in the order of more vital, harmonic ratios. This is a mutual regular functional adaptation in the course of the evolutionary transformation of any organs of one individual or their group, as well as various living creatures of the same biocenosis.

A similar example of a rudimentary human structure is the appendix (vermiform appendix). This is the remnant of a blind outgrowth that was once a large functioning organ in the digestive system of herbivores. Its functions are clear enough. Food rich in fiber requires a long time for digestion, a blind outgrowth is a place in which, with the participation of the microflora living in it, a gradual process of digestion of plant cellulose takes place. In the course of evolutionary development, our ancestors began to consume less fiber and more meat, which led to a gradual decrease in blind outgrowth. It has become a vestige, but far from useless. Its role in maintaining human immunity is quite significant. The appendix retains the original microflora of the large intestine, being an incubator for Escherichia coli. It is much more difficult for people with a remote appendix after suffering infectious diseases to return the intestinal microflora to normal. That is why the appendix is ​​often called a kind of farm for the reproduction of beneficial microorganisms. There are claims that removing the appendix increases the risk of malignant neoplasms.

Rudiments in animals

In other living beings, many organs have also been identified that have lost their functions during the natural historical development of organisms and are on the way to extinction. These are, for example, bones located in the thickness of the abdominal muscles in pythons and whales, which are vestiges of the hind limbs. Eyes are a vestigial organ in animals that live in the dark. In wingless birds, these are the rudimentary wing bones. There are many organs that have lost their original meaning in plants. So, on the rhizomes of lily of the valley, wheatgrass, fern, scales were found, which are rudiments of leaves. In the marginal inflorescences of Compositae, under a magnifying glass, underdeveloped stamens are clearly visible. In the staminate flowers of the cucumber, the remnant of the pistil, which is present in the center of the tubercle, is also a rudiment. These are all essential proofs of the historical development of the organic world.

atavisms

Scientists also identify manifestations in certain individuals of signs that were characteristic of their distant ancestors, but are absent from the closest representatives. Such manifestations are called atavisms. Their most characteristic examples are the caudal appendage, fistulas in the throat, overly pronounced hairline, the presence of additional pairs of mammary glands, and others. These traits, lost in the course of evolution, occur as a rare exception.

It should be noted that atavisms and rudiments are not identical concepts. Rudiments are present in all individuals of the species, they have certain functions. Atavisms are found only in some representatives and do not carry any functions. By the way, they should not be confused with developmental anomalies of a different nature, such as branched ribs, the phenomenon of six-fingeredness, and others.

All discovered rudiments and atavisms are signs corresponding to a certain stage in the development of the evolutionary tree. A clear proof of this is that organs that have become useless for the body can persist for a long period of time, gradually reducing and destroying further due to mutations.

In modern biological science, even today, the focus is on the study of the genome of living beings, including humans. Data on the origin of vestigial organs will help answer one of the topical questions about which genes are turned on or blocked during the development and reduction of rudimentary organs.

"Rudimentary organ" in technology

The concept of a rudiment in a figurative sense as a relic of a disappeared phenomenon is also used in technology. There is a clear analogy with biological evolution in the development of technological progress. Here, too, rudiments are often referred to as parts of mechanisms, machines or other devices that have lost their meaning at the present stage of development of a particular system, but continued to be preserved in order to be compatible with previously accepted standards. in computer technology, a modem, a floppy drive are used. In automotive technology, the "rudimentary organ" in aviation is such an example as an automatic radio compass.