Vestigial Organs: What Are They and Why Are They There?

Many organisms in this world carry organs that are so reduced in size that they really do not play its original purpose, and they are merely traces of similar functionary organs found in other species. These organs are scientifically classified as vestigial organs and they resemble miniature body structures like tails and legs.

Humans carry many examples of vestigial organs. For one, we have a set of miniature tailbones at the base of our spine which may have once been a supporting system for a tail; however, we do not have a tail anymore because it has been reduced in size to a mere bump at the end of our spine. We also have a small sac that leads from the large intestine known as the appendix. The appendix may once have been used for digestion purposes; however, nowadays, it really is an unnecessary organ, and can be removed surgically if it is infected. When comparing the appendix in us to other species of animals like the koala, we can see how their appendix operates and functions for them which allow them to better adapt to their surrounding environment. Humans are not the only species of organisms with vestigial organs; in fact, look around at the organisms around you, and you will find many traces of vestigial organs.

The main concern here is why an organism would carry around a vestigial organ which is useless to them around. Well, it's rather simple. Organs become vestigial because they are trying to adapt to their environment, and that organ is rather unnecessary. When an organ becomes unnecessary, it reduces in size in order to take away less energy from the organism. Organs usually become vestigial over a long period of time and through many generations; this process is known as evolution.

While vestigial organs are unnecessary to the organism itself, it is important to use in the study of evolution as it provides to us key evidence of an animal's evolutionary ancestry. This concept or theory was brought to us by Charles Darwin. Darwin believes that the study of vestigial organs is necessary as it is evidence of what organs an organism needed before in order to be well-adapted to their environment, and being fitter to survive, and reproduce.

It is definitely a wonder to learn about research on vestigial organs in animals because it shows us about their ancestries, and how their ancestries may have looked like in order to be well-adapted to the environment. For example, the legs of snakes are vestigial organs now; however, before then, they were important in the survival of the snakes as they were used for walking.