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Questions and Answers
The reduction or loss of several traits in whales is unique to them and not seen in other mammals
False
Whales no longer have external ears, but they still have muscles attached to where the ears used to be
True
Humans do not have any vestigial features like whales do
False
Humans have vestigial traits such as arrector pili muscles that produce goosebumps
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True or false: Whales lost their hindlimbs and evolved a tail for swimming (called a fluke).
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True or false: Whales swim by undulating their fluke in an up and down motion.
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True or false: Whales could have evolved a side-to-side swimming motion like fishes.
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Study Notes
Whale Evolution
- Whales have undergone the reduction or loss of several traits that are still prominent in most other mammals.
- They have vestigial features, such as muscles attached to external ears, despite losing their external ears.
Vestigial Traits in Humans
- Humans have also lost some traits, like body fur.
- They have vestigial traits, including the arrector pili muscles that produce goosebumps, even though they are mostly hairless.
Whale Adaptations
- Whales evolved a tail for swimming, called a fluke, after losing their hindlimbs.
- They swim by undulating their fluke in an up and down motion.
- It is possible for whales to have evolved a side-to-side swimming motion, similar to fish, but they did not.
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Description
Test your knowledge of whale evolution and vestigial features in this quiz. Determine whether statements about whale traits are true or false, and discover how whales have adapted over time. Explore the similarities between whales and humans in terms of lost traits.
