Cohen B
Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1976 Mar;58(2):104-14.
There are several structures and various tissues in the human body that appear to be functionless relics of ancestral or embryonic development. As such they have long been of interest and have been cited in support of theories of evolution and of oncogenesis. Evidence can be adduced to show that these remnants are not necessarily degenerate, nor are they inevitably functionless. Vestigial tissues are especially common in tooth-bearing areas of the mouth, and the span of tooth development from early embryonic life until adolescence affords unique opportunities for studying the part played by embryonic remnants in later life.
人体中有几种结构和各种组织，它们似乎是祖先或胚胎发育过程中无功能的遗迹。因此，长期以来它们一直备受关注，并被引用来支持进化论和肿瘤发生理论。可以举出证据表明，这些残余物不一定是退化的，也不一定毫无功能。退化组织在口腔的牙齿生长区域尤为常见，从胚胎早期到青春期的牙齿发育过程为研究胚胎残余物在后期生活中所起的作用提供了独特的机会。
