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Theory of Vestigial Body Parts (1895). Like the vagueness of homologies, the
argument from vestigial organs appears persuasive, yet it too suffers from the
lack of objective measure. When we find
that an organ makes a positive contribution to fitness, then we disprove the
vestigial claim. In 1895, Ernst Weidersheim published
a list of eighty-six organs in the human body that he supposed to be
vestigial. The vast majority of items
on Weidersheim’s list are now known to be functioning organs. The pineal gland, for example, is now known
to be part of the endocrine system…Weidersheim also claimed the coccyx, a short
collection of vertebrae at the end of the spine, was vestigial. But the coccyx is the attachment point for
several important muscles and ligaments.
And Weidersheim claimed the thyroid and thymus glands and appendix were
vestigial, but important functions for all three have since been discovered.[i] In 1981 zoologist S.R. Scadding
analyzed Weidersheim’s claims and had difficulty finding a single item that was
not functional, although some are so only in a minor way.[ii] Hunter said Scadding concluded that the
“vestigial organs” provide no evidence for evolutionary theory. Furthermore, Hunter argues: “When evolutionists
identify a structure as vestigial, it seems that it is the theory of evolution
that is justifying the claim, rather than the claim justifying the theory of
evolution.”[iii] If a penguin’s wing is highly efficient for
swimming, then why should we think it is vestigial, aside from simply
presupposing it was formed by evolution?
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