Appendix Quote by Jerry A. Coyne
“We humans have many vestigial features proving that we evolved. The most famous is the appendix.”
About This Quote
Vestigial traits like the appendix illustrate our evolutionary history and the remnants of past adaptations.
In simple terms: Our bodies retain unused features from evolution.
Key Takeaway
Recognize evolutionary evidence in anatomy.
Themes
evolution
biology
vestigial traits
anatomy
Mood
educational
informative
Type
scientific
explanatory
When to use this quote
- medical education
- public science communication
Key Concepts
natural selection
phylogenetics
Questions to Reflect On
- What other vestigial features exist?
- How do they inform evolutionary theory?
A Different Perspective
Vestigial traits may have unknown functions.
![“In the appendix to my History of the Russian Revolution I give a detailed and documented study of the ideas of the Bolshevik party on the October revolution. This study, I hope, will make it impossible in the future to ascribe to [Vladimir] Lenin the theory of Socialism in a single country.” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/374/leon-trotsky-2558_appendix_in-the-appendix-to-my-history-of-the-rus_363447.jpg)
