page 12 of 12 Fossil Record and Embryology Quick Check 1 of 51 of 5 Items Question Most people develop wisdom teeth by early adulthood. Wisdom teeth can cause pain or crowd out their other teeth, so many people have these teeth removed. Wisdom teeth in modern humans do not perform a crucial life function. Which statement best describes the importance of wisdom teeth to human evolution? (1 point) Responses They are evidence that humans cannot evolve. They are evidence that humans cannot evolve. They are vestigial structures that once performed an important function for human ancestors. They are vestigial structures that once performed an important function for human ancestors. They are evidence that humans have never evolved. They are evidence that humans have never evolved. They are vestigial structures that never performed a necessary function for human ancestors. They are vestigial structures that never performed a necessary function for human ancestors. Skip to navigation

1 answer

The statement that best describes the importance of wisdom teeth to human evolution is:

They are vestigial structures that once performed an important function for human ancestors.

Wisdom teeth were useful for our ancestors who had a diet that required more chewing power and had different jaw structures, allowing them to process coarse, rough food. Over time, as human diets changed and jaw sizes decreased, these teeth became less necessary, leading to their classification as vestigial structures.