What term describes inherited features that have lost all or most of their original function due to changed pressures?

• A. Pedigree
• B. Vestigial Structures
• C. Homologous Structures
• D. Analogous Structures

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is vestigial structures: inherited features that were functional in ancestors but have lost most or all of their original function because selective pressures changed. These remnants persist in anatomy or DNA even though they no longer provide a clear advantage, illustrating how evolution slows down or stops acting on features that are no longer useful. For example, the human coccyx is a reduced tailbone from our tailed ancestors, and whale pelvic bones derive from land-dwelling relatives. This concept is distinct from a pedigree, which is just a family tree; from homologous structures, which share ancestry and can have different functions; and from analogous structures, which look alike because of similar functions but not shared ancestry.