Homology

Definition of Homology

From the elephant glossary Section: evolution

The principle of homology: The biological relationships (shown by colours) of the bones in the forelimbs of vertebrates were used by Charles Darwin as an argument in favor of evolution.

Relevant Literature about Homology
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In biology, homology is similarity due to shared ancestry between a pair of structures or genes in different taxa. A common example of homologous structures is the forelimbs of vertebrates, where the wings of bats and birds, the arms of primates, the front flippers of whales and the forelegs of four-legged vertebrates like dogs and crocodiles are all derived from the same ancestral tetrapod structure.

Evolutionary biology explains homologous structures adapted to different purposes as the result of descent with modification from a common ancestor.

The term was first applied to biology in a non-evolutionary context by the anatomist Richard Owen in 1843. Homology was later explained by Charles Darwins theory of evolution in 1859, but had been observed before this, from Aristotle onwards, and it was explicitly analysed by Pierre Belon in 1555. (Wikipedia)

From Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, 2006 by Murray Fowler, Susan K. Mikota

Homology. Shared similarity due to common descent.

Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, 2006 by Murray Fowler, Susan K. Mikota

Reference list Koehl, Dan, (2024). Homology. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 September 2021 at https://www.elephant.se/index.php?id=178. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homology_(biology)
*FOWLER

Selected publications

Links about Homology

Selected external links for this article about Homology:

E. N. Mashchenko and N. P. Kalmykov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Homology of the Elephantid dentition in the context of elephants (Mammalia, Proboscidea) evolution, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225147112_Homology_of_the_Elephantid_dentition_in_the_context_of_elephants_Mammalia_Proboscidea_evolution

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Categories glossary | evolution

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