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Author Topic:   Vestigial Organs?
CosmicAtheist
Member (Idle past 4891 days)
Posts: 31
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 04-07-2010


Message 1 of 109 (554405)
04-08-2010 2:14 AM


Hello, I am new to the forums. I hope with my time here I can learn more about evolution and life on Earth in general. My first question is regarding vestigial organs. Some creationist argue we have no true vestigial organs because we have a use for things like our tailbone and without it, it would be difficult to digest, walk, etc... Thoughts? Could it be that we still have a use for them but not the same use as our ancestors once did? What would be a proper response?

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CosmicAtheist
Member (Idle past 4891 days)
Posts: 31
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 04-07-2010


Message 8 of 109 (554476)
04-08-2010 1:11 PM


Thank you all for the replies so far. I pretty much figured vestigial didn't necessarily mean useless. And rockondon that is a good point, although the appendix does serve its purpose, it is a potential killer in humans today. I do not think any "intelligence" was put into that design but rather the faults of naturalistic origin. It's like building an airplane with potentially faulty parts in hope it does what it's supposed to do. What a gamble.
Edited by CosmicAtheist, : No reason given.

  
CosmicAtheist
Member (Idle past 4891 days)
Posts: 31
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 04-07-2010


Message 15 of 109 (554510)
04-08-2010 5:20 PM
Reply to: Message 14 by Taq
04-08-2010 4:26 PM


This actually got me curious. Where can I read more on humans and tails? Such as studies involving cases where humans were born with true tails?

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CosmicAtheist
Member (Idle past 4891 days)
Posts: 31
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 04-07-2010


Message 21 of 109 (554563)
04-08-2010 11:57 PM
Reply to: Message 19 by rockondon
04-08-2010 10:03 PM


This is very interesting. How exactly do the differentiate from a true tail or pseudotail? And what would cause a pseudotail?

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CosmicAtheist
Member (Idle past 4891 days)
Posts: 31
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 04-07-2010


Message 24 of 109 (554575)
04-09-2010 3:04 AM
Reply to: Message 23 by rockondon
04-09-2010 2:57 AM


Heh fair enough. Perhaps for another thread in the future if the curiosity ever gets the better of me.

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CosmicAtheist
Member (Idle past 4891 days)
Posts: 31
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 04-07-2010


Message 31 of 109 (554668)
04-09-2010 1:48 PM


Top 10 Useless Limbs (and Other Vestigial Organs) | Live Science
I found this a little interesting.
quote:
The Blind Fish Astyanax Mexicanus
In an experiment designed by nature, the species of fish known as Astyanax mexicanus, dwelling in caves deep underground off the coast of Mexico, cannot see. The pale fish has eyes, but as it is developing in the egg, the eyes begin to degenerate, and the fish is born with a collapsed remnant of an eye covered by flap of skin. These vestigial eyes probably formed after hundreds or even thousands of years of living in total darkness. As for the experiment, a control is needed; and luckily for us, fish of the same species live right above, near the surface, where there is plenty of light, and these fish have fully functioning eyes. To test if the eyes of the blind mexicanus could function if given the right environment, scientists removed the lens from the eye of the surface-dwelling fish and implanted it into the eye of the blind fish. It was observed that within eight days an eye started to develop beneath the skin, and after two months the fish had developed a large functioning eye with a pupil, cornea, and iris. The fish were blind, but now they see.
I am still a little confused as to how "within eight days an eye started to develop beneath the skin, and after two months the fish had developed a large functioning eye with a pupil, cornea, and iris." That's rather fast.
Edited by CosmicAtheist, : No reason given.

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