Vestigials 101

[USIncognito]

The common Creationist straw man of vestigial characterists are that they are organs or structures that have lost all function, though they had function in progenator species. I just thought of a short list of simple things our bodies do that more accurately represent vestigial (diminished or changed function, not functionless) remains of our ancestral past.

- Prehensile toes. I, and I'm sure most people can pick things up between their toes. I have a bad back and try not to squat to save wear on my knees, so if I'm bare footed and need to pick something up, my feet do the work.
- Wiggling ears. I can wiggle my ears. We all are physically able to, but you just need to learn to flex the right muscles. This is a more ancient vestigial from prehensile toes going probably back to our Consestor with pro-simians or earlier.
- Flaring nostrils. Oddly enough, this one evidences Aquatic Ape theory as much as it does a functional vestige of times when our Consestors used their sense of smell and needed to open their nostrils wide and get as much scent in as possible.
- Goosebumps. I think everyone knows why we get these and how they're a vestige of when our ancestors had more body hair.

These seemingly inconsequential vestigial functions might not be as glamorous as the coccyx or appendix, but they point inevitably with the rest of the mountains of evidence, in favor of evolution and common ancestry.

[perplexed101]

Aquatic Ape theory

ahh, the aquatic ape theory LOL

...surprising when they climb back down... isnt that right pliny?

[QED]

I'm quite partial to the Aquatic Ape theory myself

Now what's supposed to be the subject for debate here? This topic looks destined to be moved to the Random Ramblings sub-forum, unless there is something added for debate...

[juliod]

unless there is something added for debate...

How about...

Can anyone suggest an explanation for vestigal organs in terms of design or special creation?

DanZ

[USIncognito]

ahh, the aquatic ape theory LOL

I wasn't suggesting the Aquatic Ape theory had any validity, I was just pointing out that one of my examples of vesitiges - which, according to Creationists, should not exist - could be used to support an alternate viewpoint than my perception of evidence of traditional evolutionary theory.

Since vestigials are something Creationists normally jump on claiming "common design" over common ancestry, I wonder why, the response has been so muted thus far? I mean, my ear wiggling example is evidence that we evolved from a Concestor that could turn it's ears like a cat or rabbit, but we apes turn our heads in order to focus on a sound. Why would we need nascient muscles that could twitch our ears?

If we were specially created as hairless beings that either lived in a perfect Eden or immediately had clothes, why do we get goosebumps?

If we had tools and backs "designed" for bipedalism, why is it better for our lumbar region if we can pick things up with our toes?

I realize a myopic tangent of something I wasn't offering in the first place is a tantelizing subject for a tangent, but how about addressing the actual issues I've raised?

[Curious]

- Flaring nostrils. Oddly enough, this one evidences Aquatic Ape theory as much as it does a functional vestige of times when our Consestors used their sense of smell and needed to open their nostrils wide and get as much scent in as possible.

Flaring the nostrils still has a function today. While we may not have the sense of smell as our ancestors, the nostrils do still flare when we catch a scent. Flaring nostrils are also still useful when heavy exertion requires us to breath more deeply(rather than mouith breathing which stops us smelling the air and also lets in unfiltered air to the lungs). In cold climates it is beneficial to have a longer nose with a smaller orifice to allow the air to warm while in dusty environments, unflared nostrils are beneficial to allow more dust to be filtered out while the flaring still allows an increased intake on exercise. There is also the most obvious point, that of expression by which we communicate.
If our flared nostrils were evidence of aquatic ape ancestry then surely the nostrils would point upwards rather than downwards unless such an ape swam on its back with it's eyes under the water.

[Jose]

As it turns out, my family tends to have funny toenails. My little toes have these dinky little nails that don't seem to do anything at all. Sometimes, they (painlessly) just fall off. Weird. They grow back eventually, but they still don't do anything.

Toenails are vestigial claws. Our distant ancestors had a use for 'em. We don't.

We can imagine that fingernails could have been useful in pre-industrial days by providing little tweezer-like things for pulling out thorns or something. But toenails? They seem like a pretty silly design feature.