"The existance of functionless 'vestigial organs' was presented by Darwin, and is often cited by current biology textbooks, as part of the evidence for evolution..An analysis of the difficulties in unambibuously identifying functionless structures..leads to the conclusions that 'vestigial organs' provide no evidence for evolutionary theory." *S.R. Scadding, "Do 'Vestigal Orgins' Provide Evidence for Evolution?" Evolutionary Theory, Vol 5 (May 1981), p. 394.
The Appendix - now known to be an important part of what is called the reticulo-endothelial system of the body. Like the tonsils, the appendix fights infection.
"There is no longer any justification for redarding the vermiform appendix as a vestigal structure ." * William Strauss, Quarterly Review of Biology (1947), p. 149.
According to *Science News, March 20, 1971, both the tonsils and appendix are now believed to guard us against Hodgkin's disease.
"For at least 2,000 years, doctors have puzzled over the function of the thymus gland. Modern physicians came to regard it, like the appendix, as a useless, vestigial orgin, which had lost its original purpose, if indeed it ever had one. In the last few years, however..men have proved that far from being useless, the thymus is really the master gland that regulates the intricate immunity system which protects us against infectious diseases..Recent experiments have lead researchers to believe that the appendix, tonsils and adenoids may also figure in the antibody responses." *"The Useless Gland that Guards Our Health", in Reader's Digest, November 1966.