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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 never performed a necessary function for human ancestors.
They are vestigial structures that never performed a necessary function for human ancestors.
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.
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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.
This is because wisdom teeth, or third molars, were useful for our ancestors who had a diet that required more chewing power to process tough vegetation. Over time, as human diets changed and our jaws became smaller, wisdom teeth became less necessary, leading to their classification as vestigial structures.
