Atavisms and rudiments in humans are considered as one of the arguments of evolutionary theory. Body parts that were formed in the ancestors of modern humans under the pressure of the environment, but now have become unnecessary. Organs that have lost their original meaning in the process of human evolution are called rudimentary. , which were characteristic of distant ancestors, but were absent from relatives, is called atavism.

List of main rudiments:

• ear muscles;
• wisdom teeth;
• coccyx;
• appendix;
• pyramidal muscle;
• epicanthus.

Rudiments of modern man

The appendix is ​​the remnant of an organ that, in the ancestors of humans, had digestive functions. Now the appendix can protect against the loss of symbiotic bacteria that help the body's digestion. However, he probably possessed this function in the ancestors of man.

The auricular muscles are the temporoparietal, anterior and posterior muscles. They allow you to move the auricle in different directions. Modern man does without moving his ears, but in some representatives of the homosapiens species this ability is clearly expressed.

In modern monkeys, especially macaques, the ear muscles are much better developed. This is because primates use them to be alerted to danger. But the ear muscles of chimpanzees and orangutans, like those of humans, became minimally developed and non-functional, but did not completely disappear.

Wisdom teeth are designed to chew tough and hard plant foods. It is believed that the ancestors of people had more powerful jaws, which gave them the ability to chew on foliage. Thorough chewing compensated for the inability to digest the cellulose that was part of the plant food. Changes in the structure of nutrition led to the fact that less strong jaws were formed naturally. But the wisdom teeth survived. In a new generation of people, wisdom teeth began to erupt less often, which confirms the evolutionary theory of rudiments. Due to the uselessness and even harmfulness of these parts of the body, there is the possibility of surgical removal of wisdom teeth.

Interestingly, in different nations, the development of wisdom teeth does not coincide. The Tasmanians retained powerful jaws and well-developed wisdom teeth. In Mexico, on the contrary, they almost do not grow.

The coccyx is the remnant of a rudimentary tail, which all mammals had at different periods of development. During prenatal development, a human fetus has a tail for about four weeks. It is most noticeable in embryos that are between 31 and 35 days old. The tail bone, located at the end of the spine, has lost its importance in promoting balance and mobility. Now the coccyx retains its value as an attachment point for muscles, tendons and ligaments. Sometimes a birth defect causes a person to have a short tail at birth.

Since 1884, 23 babies have been born with a tail. In all other respects, these children were normal. All of them had their tails surgically removed, and these children continued their normal human lives.

In the inner corner of the eye there is a small fold, lunate. It is a remnant of the nictitating membrane, a translucent or transparent third eyelid that allows some animal species to moisten the eye without losing visibility. In cats, seals, polar bears and camels, the nictitating membrane is completely preserved. Other mammals have only its rudiments.

Atavisms of modern people

A person in the months of his prenatal development partially goes through the evolutionary path of his ancestors. It is known that human embryos in different weeks of existence resemble the evolutionary ancestors of humans. In some cases, atavistic signs may persist in a born child.

Some genes that have disappeared phenotypically may not disappear from human DNA. They remain dormant for generations. The lack of genetic control can lead to the revival of dormant genes in an individual. It can also be caused by external stimulation.

One of the most striking examples of atavism is hairline. The common ancestors of humans and monkeys had bodies covered with thick hair. And today it happens that the hairline of a person covers his entire body, leaving only the palms and soles of his feet smooth. It happens that both men and women have an extra pair of nipples - this is also a legacy of distant ancestors.

Sometimes microcephaly (a small head with normal proportions of the rest of the body) is also considered an atavism. Usually this pathology is accompanied by a lack of mental abilities of a person. Atavisms also include the cleft lip, an anomaly of human development, which they are trying to eliminate surgically.

Some human reflexes are also referred to as atavisms. Hiccups are a legacy of amphibian ancestors. She helped pass water through the gill slits. Newborns have a grasping reflex. It is considered an atavism that humans received from primate ancestors. So baby monkeys grabbed the wool of their mothers.

Atavisms and rudiments have partially changed, partially acquired a new meaning. It can be observed that some rudiments die off among peoples in whose environment they become unnecessary, but are preserved in others where these parts of the body have not become rudimentary.

Rudiments and atavisms - proof of evolution?

Materialists see proof of evolution in rudiments and atavisms. Rudiments (lat. rudimentum - germ, initial stage) materialists call organs that have fewer capabilities compared to similar organs in other creatures, which is perceived as the loss of their main meaning over time. For example, many birds fly with the help of wings, and ostriches use their wings to maintain balance on the run, shake off insects, courtship dances, etc. One of the most famous human rudiments is the coccyx, taken as the rest of the tail.

The term "atavism" has now fallen out of scientific use, but it continues to be used outside of academia. Atavism (lat. atavismus, from atavis - ancestor) is understood as the presence in an individual of signs characteristic of supposedly distant ancestors. For example, in humans, this is a hairline on parts of the body where it is usually absent.

At first glance, especially if one believes in evolution, rudiments and atavisms may well serve as confirmation of Darwin's theory. However, they are well explained by the concept of creation.

In the second half of the XIX century. along with the growth in popularity of the theory of evolution, interest in everything that confirmed it in one way or another increased. Already widely known at that time, Charles Darwin in his book The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection (1871) listed a number of organs that he classified as rudimentary. At the end of the XIX century. - the beginning of the XX century. many scientists enthusiastically looked for "unnecessary" organs in the human body. And they were delighted that there were a lot of them - about two hundred. However, over time, their list began to thin out, as their useful properties were established: some organs produced the necessary hormones, others came into operation under certain external conditions, others were needed at a certain stage of development of the organism, and the fourth acted as a reserve. Therefore, most likely, the concept of "rudiment" will soon be revised.

Here is what, for example, is written about the coccyx in the Wikipedia encyclopedia: “The coccyx has a rather important functional significance. The anterior parts of the coccyx serve to attach muscles and ligaments... In addition, the coccyx plays a role in the distribution of physical load on the anatomical structures of the pelvis, serving as an important fulcrum... when a seated person is tilted. And here is what you can read about the appendix there: “The appendix is ​​... a kind of“ farm ”where beneficial microorganisms multiply ... The appendix plays a saving role in preserving microflora.”

Rice. Organs, which today are called rudiments, each play their own role in the functioning of the body.

That is, organs that are considered rudiments each play their own role in the functioning of the body. Try to take the ostrich's wings. Will this living creature be better or worse without them? The answer is obvious: wings, although they are less functional than those of flying birds, the ostrich needs. If the organism needs the rudiments, then they do not prove evolution! Now, if in our body found at all unnecessary elements as the remnants of the development "from simple to complex", then this would be a weighty confirmation of Darwin's theory. However, all creatures have an optimal functional structure, and each is harmonious in its own way, pointing to the Author who created it.

As for atavisms, that is a different story. The fact is that this term is no longer quite scientific, and therefore ambiguous. Let's take hair for example. They are needed for thermoregulation, protect against friction, microtrauma, irritation, diaper rash... They also play an important role in the functioning of the skin. The sweat and sebaceous glands are located next to the hair follicle. The excretory ducts of part of the sweat and most sebaceous glands come to the surface of the skin along with the hair. Sebum prevents the development of microorganisms, softens the skin and gives it elasticity. However, if a person’s entire body is covered with hair, then materialists call such a pathology atavism and associate it with distant ancestors. Why? Yes, because monkeys and many other animals are completely covered with wool. But wool, although similar to human hair, is significantly different from them. Excessive hairiness of people is simply a disease well known to physicians under the name of hypertrichosis.

Echoes of "our animal past" include additional underdeveloped nipples, which are sometimes found in humans. Although these nipples are clearly human, not cow or monkey. Also, some materialists consider the “tail” to be an atavism - an elongation in the coccyx area that is rare in humans. But in fact, such outgrowths from the human body are not a tail, like the tails of animals. This elongation is a tumor, growth, or cyst. That is, it is a disease, often known as the coccygeal passage. At the same time, for some reason, materialists are not embarrassed by the fact that there are no people with scales, gills, wings, feathers and fins ... And for some reason, evolutionists do not claim that a person had, for example, six-fingered, three-legged and two-headed progenitors, although people are sometimes born with similar deviations.

That is, we see a strange picture: materialists explain some congenital deformities and anomalies of development, allegedly similar to the signs of our ancestors, kinship with them, that is, they consider them to be atavisms. And many other defects, including internal ones, which do not have an obvious similarity with the alleged progenitors, are called deviations associated with disturbances in the functioning of the body. Although it is clear that in both cases the cause of pathologies is a genetic or hormonal failure, which can be caused by a wide variety of external factors. But it is convenient for materialists to apply to a number of defects not the concepts of illness, vice or anomaly, but the term "atavism", since it fits into the theory of evolution.

Rice. What is often considered an atavism is an anomaly, not a legacy from animal progenitors.

Despite partial similarities, all living beings are unique and perfect in their own way, which is an excellent proof that we are created by an intelligent Creator. And the fact that in a number of organs of different living beings there is a similarity indicates that we have one Creator! He designed his creations for different conditions and for different tasks, but at the same time successful “architectural” and functional solutions were used and repeated, taking into account specific nuances.

Of course, there are people who try to find flaws and imperfections in the organisms of living beings. However, their claims to the Creator are easy to verify - it is enough to surgically correct the found “imperfection” and follow the further fate of the operated being in different external conditions, comparing it with the unoperated one.

Note that similar experiences have already taken place in history. Particularly zealous physicians since the beginning of the 20th century. began to "correct the mistakes of nature", surgically removing healthy, but, as it seemed to them, unnecessary and even dangerous organs from people. Thus, tens of thousands of people lost their large intestine, caecum, tonsils, appendix... This practice was stopped only when doctors became convinced of the negative consequences of their "good" activities.

As you can see, the concepts of “rudiments” and “atavisms” used by materialists do not prove evolution, since this question can be looked at from a completely different angle. It is obvious that the above creationist opinion scientifically validates the concept of creation.

Atavisms and rudiments, examples of which will be considered in our article, are irrefutable evidence of the evolutionary theory of the development of living organisms. What do these concepts mean and what is the significance of their discovery for modern science?

Evidence for evolution

Evolution is the development of all living things from simple to complex. This means that organisms have changed over time. Each subsequent generation had more progressive features of the structure, which led to their adaptation to new living conditions. And this means that organisms belonging to different systematic units must have similar features.

For example, the forelimbs of birds consist of the same sections. These are the shoulder, forearm and hand. But since birds are adapted for flight, this limb turns into wings for them, and for aquatic inhabitants it changes into flippers. Such organs are called homologous.

Another proof of the theory of evolution are analogies. So, both insects and bats have wings. But in the former they are derivatives of epithelial tissue, while in the latter they are a skin fold between the fore and hind limbs. These organs have different origins, but have common features of structure and functioning. This phenomenon arose due to the divergence of signs, or divergence.

Atavisms and rudiments, examples of which are studied by comparative anatomy, are also direct evidence of the interconnection of all living things with each other.

What is a rudiment?

Some organs are said to be "rudimentary developed." This means that it is not enough for the full implementation of the intended functions. Indeed, rudiments are called organs that have lost their original meaning in the process of evolution. On the one hand, they are developed to a certain extent, and on the other hand, they are at the stage of extinction. Typical examples of rudiments are a change in the shape of the auricle and the degree of development of the muscles that surround it. Our ancestors needed to listen every minute to the approach of danger or long-awaited prey. Therefore, the shape of the shell was sharper, and the muscles ensured its movement. For a modern person, the ability to move his ears is unlikely to be useful in everyday life. Therefore, individuals with such skills can be found very rarely.

Examples of rudiments in humans and animals

Underdeveloped organs inherent in ancestors are quite common in animals. Examples of rudiments are the presence of a coccyx in a person, which is a remnant of the caudal spine, as well as wisdom teeth, necessary for chewing rough and unprocessed food. At this stage, we practically do not use these parts of the body. The appendix is ​​a vestige that humans supposedly inherited from herbivores. This part of the digestive system secretes enzymes and is involved in the processes of splitting, but compared to the ancestors, it is significantly shortened. For comparison: in humans, its average length is about 10 cm, and in a sheep or camel - several meters.

The list of human rudiments continues with the third eyelid. In reptiles, this structure moisturizes and cleanses the outer shell of the eye. In humans, it is motionless, has a small size, and the above functions are performed by the upper eyelid. A scar in the upper palate of a person is also a vestige - these are the rudiments of the next row of teeth, which a person does not need.

The vestiges of animals are the hind limbs of whales hidden inside the body, and the halteres of dipterous insects, which are a modified pair of wings. But in snakes, the limbs are not at all developed, because due to the peculiarities of their musculoskeletal system, the need for them is completely absent.

Rudiments: photo of plants

Plants also have vestigial organs. For example, wheatgrass weed has a well-developed rhizome, which is an underground shoot with elongated internodes. Small scales are clearly visible on it, which are rudimentary leaves. Since underground they will not be able to perform their main function - the implementation of photosynthesis, then there is no need for their development. A rudimentary pistil in the form of a tubercle in the stamen flower of cucumbers is also a rudiment.

What are atavisms?

Another proof of evolution are atavisms. We can say that this concept is the opposite of rudiments. Atavisms are the manifestation in individual individuals of signs characteristic of their distant ancestors. Their presence also indicates a certain degree of kinship in a number of generations. In the early stages of embryo development, there is both a tail and gill sacs. If embryogenesis occurs correctly, these structures stop their development. In case of violation of the development process, individuals with structural features unusual for them may appear. Therefore, a tailed boy and an amphibian man are not just a fantasy.

Human atavisms

In addition to the appearance of the tail, typical human atavisms are excessive body hair. Sometimes it significantly exceeds the norm. There are cases when hair covered the entire body of a person, except for the palms and soles of the feet. The appearance of additional mammary glands on the body is also considered an atavism, and this can occur in both women and men. This trait is inherited from mammals that have had many children. At the same time, there was a need to feed them all at the same time. A person has no such need.

The second row of teeth is also a feature inherent in our distant ancestors. For example, a shark has several rows of them. This is necessary for predators to effectively capture and hold prey. There is an opinion that microcephaly can also be considered an atavism. This is a genetic disease that manifests itself in a decrease in the size of the brain and skull. At the same time, all other proportions of the body remain normal. This leads to mental retardation.

A person shows some signs of animals in the form of reflexes. For example, hiccups are a typical feature of ancient amphibians. This reaction was necessary for them to pass water through the respiratory organs. And which is especially strongly developed in children, is a manifestation of that in mammals. They clutched at their parents' fur so as not to get lost.

Atavisms of animals and plants

An example of the manifestation of ancestral traits in animals is the appearance of hair or hind limbs in cetaceans. This is proof of the origin of these animals from extinct ungulate mammals. Atavisms are also the development of additional fingers in modern horses, movable limbs in snakes, and in primroses, an increase in the number of stamens to 10 is sometimes observed. This is how many ancestors of modern plants had. Although modern species have only 5 stamens.

Reasons for evolutionary change

As you can see, rudiments and atavisms appear in many species of plants and animals. This indicates a certain degree of kinship between representatives of different systematic units within the same kingdom. Evolutionary changes always occur in the direction of their complication, as a result of which living organisms have the opportunity to better adapt to certain living conditions.

Having considered examples of rudiments and atavisms, we were convinced of the generality and consistency of the theory of evolution.