The comparison of the structures of different organisms is called

• A. Evolution
• B. Comparative anatomy
• C. Variation
• D. Species

Answer: (B)

Comparative anatomy is the study that looks at the shapes, structures, and arrangements of body parts across different organisms to see how they are similar or different and to infer relationships between species. This field focuses on how anatomy can reveal shared ancestry and how structures have adapted over time, even when their functions differ. For example, the forelimbs of humans, cats, whales, and bats have a similar bone layout, suggesting they descended from a common ancestor, even though those limbs serve very different purposes today.

The other terms describe different ideas: evolution is the broader process of how traits change in populations over generations; variation refers to the differences among individuals within a group; and species is a category for grouping organisms that can interbreed.