Same Bones, Different Jobs

In the picture

1. 1Badge 1 sits on the red upper bone of the human forelimb.
2. 2Badge 2 sits on the blue forearm bones of the bat wing.
3. 3Badge 3 sits on the green wrist bones of the whale flipper.
4. 4Badge 4 sits on the purple finger bones of the horse foreleg.

Examples

• Your hand and a bat’s wing both contain finger bones, but a bat’s fingers are long and support its wing.
• A whale flipper and your arm both have an upper bone, forearm bones, wrist bones, and finger bones.

Quiz: Same Bones, Different Jobs (Age 12)

1. 1

   What do the forelimbs of humans, whales, bats, and horses have in common?

   • They are built from the same set of bones.
   • They are all exactly the same size and shape.
   • They are all used for the same job.
2. 2

   Why do the forelimbs of a whale, a bat, and a horse look so different even though they use the same bones?

   • Each animal grows a completely different set of bones.
   • The same bones are shaped and sized differently for swimming, flying, or running.
   • The bones are made of different materials in each animal.
3. 3

   What does the same limb plan in so many different animals suggest?

   • That these animals share a common ancestor.
   • That these animals all live in the same habitat.
   • That these animals all move in the same way.

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.