Homology

See also

Ear bones (mammalian) from jaw transition

Creationist claims

Homologous structures show a common designer.

Genes for homologous structures are not homologous.

Brief response

It would make no sense to use fundamentally the same structure for a range of different functions, for example the bones found in our arms and legs are homologous to paws of many animals, the legs of horses, bat wings, pterodactyl wings, bird wings, flippers in marine mammals, and the lobe fins of fish such as Eusthenopteron. When they do serve the same function, for example in the wings of bats, pterodactyls, and birds, they are often configured differently.

Genes for homologous structures are homologous but the claim that they are not is based on a number of misunderstandings of the scientific literature.

Resources

Claim CB731: Finger development disproves birds descended from dinosaurs

Claim CB732: Finger development differs greatly between human and frog

Claim CB810: Homology cannot be evidence of ancestry if it is defined thus

Claim CB811: Homologous structures are not produced by homologous genes

Claim CI141: Similarities in DNA and anatomy are due to common design

Claim CI141.1: Similar structures for similar functions, different for different

Brief responses in the Index to Creationist Claims in the TalkOrigins Archive.

Another Favorite Creationist Argument: "The Genes for Homologous Structures are Not Homologous"

Article by William Thwaites for Creation/Evolution Journal on the website of the National Center for Science Education.