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Claim

Without the pelvis whales cannot reproduce. Therefore it is not vestigial.

Source

• Jack Chick, Big Daddy?, Chick Publications

Responses

1. The whale's pelvis is considered to be vestigial on account of how, in the ancestral whales, such as Rhodocetus kasrani, the pelvis was originally fused to the vertebrae, and was used to help support the weight of the internal organs, as well as to serve as an anchoring point for the hindlegs. That the modern whale's pelvis is still used for help in reproduction does not change the fact that it is vestigial.
2. Vestigial does not mean, imply, nor infer "useless," or "without function."
3. There is no evidence to suggest that the pelvis plays any vital role in whale reproduction, whether during copulation, or during pregnancy.
4. add more responses

Fallacies contained in this claim

• Fallacy of Exclusion (There is no scientific evidence that the pelvis plays any role in reproduction.)

Related claims

• Vestigial organs are just evidence of decay, not evolution
• Vestigial organs may have functions
• The tail bone is not vestigial since there are nine muscles that attach to it
• Whales' pelvis bones serve as anchor points for muscles

See Also

• Why is Creationism not a Scientific Theory?

Acknowledgments