Barbarian
Member
- Jun 5, 2003
- 33,356
- 2,560
Just saw this bit of confusion from AIG:
And it's surprising that AIG still doesn't know what "vestigial" means. It does not mean "having no function." It means "no longer has a function that it once had. Often, as in the case of the human appendix, a vestigial organ gains a new function or retains one or more of the old ones.
The human appendix no longer serves the purpose it does for many mammals, a fermentation chamber. However, it does still function to produce lymphocytes, and it is also a place where the normal gut flora can survive in the event of an severe infection or other disruption of the digestive tract.
And it's always been that way. Darwin pointed this out in On the Origin of Species.
Again, an organ may become rudimentary for its proper purpose, and be used for a distinct one: in certain fishes the swimbladder seems to be rudimentary for its proper function of giving buoyancy, but has become converted into a nascent breathing organ or lung. Many similar instances could be given.
And it's surprising that AIG still doesn't know what "vestigial" means. It does not mean "having no function." It means "no longer has a function that it once had. Often, as in the case of the human appendix, a vestigial organ gains a new function or retains one or more of the old ones.
The human appendix no longer serves the purpose it does for many mammals, a fermentation chamber. However, it does still function to produce lymphocytes, and it is also a place where the normal gut flora can survive in the event of an severe infection or other disruption of the digestive tract.
And it's always been that way. Darwin pointed this out in On the Origin of Species.
Again, an organ may become rudimentary for its proper purpose, and be used for a distinct one: in certain fishes the swimbladder seems to be rudimentary for its proper function of giving buoyancy, but has become converted into a nascent breathing organ or lung. Many similar instances could be given.
