Which statement reflects the existence of useless traits?

• A. Predetermination
• B. Some traits are useless (vestigial)
• C. Exaptation
• D. Cultural feedback loops

Answer: (B)

Vestigial traits are remnants of features that were functional in ancestors but have lost or reduced their current usefulness. The statement that some traits are useless captures this idea directly: evolution can leave behind structures that no longer serve a purpose, yet persist because they no longer hinder fitness or can be repurposed. For example, the human appendix and coccyx are often cited as vestigial remnants from ancestors who used those structures more. In some flightless birds, wings remain but no longer enable flight, illustrating how traits can become vestigial as environments and lifestyles change. Exaptation describes a trait that originally evolved for one function and later acquired a new one, which is related but not about a trait being useless in its current role. Predetermination isn’t an evolutionary concept, and cultural feedback loops involve culture influencing evolution rather than the existence of nonfunctional traits. Thus, the statement about some traits being useless best reflects vestigial traits.