Question

Appearance of ancestral characters in the new borne, such as tail, multiple mammae, etc., are known as

• A. Homologous
• B. Analogous
• C. Atavism
• D. Vestigial

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

• In biology, an atavism is a modification of a biological structure whereby an ancestral trait reappears after having been lost through the evolutionary change in previous generations. For example, the Appearance of ancestral characters in the new borne, such as the tail, multiple mammae, etc in humans, Extra toes of the modern horse, Reappearance of prothoracic wings in insects, etc.
• Hence Appearance of ancestral characters in the new borne, such as the tail, multiple mammae, etc., are known as an atavism.
• So, the correct answer is 'Atavism'.