Posted: May 22nd, 2023

Wing development could also have occurred by extending dorsally from the thorax

This is a result of the suppression of the various homeotic genes on the insect body. As such, the evolution of insect wings followed a process that was initially independent of gene modifications but which later underwent segment migration associated with these homeotic genes. The evolutionary history of wing development, therefore, provides a clue to the current diversity in insects whose origins cut across paleontological, physiological, and biomechanical research findings.

Paleontology explains the evolution of wings from the limb excites which were initially moveable and later modified through the process known as vortex flaking for flight purposes. This theory is supported by the similarities found between the sensory apparatus located on the legs and the insect wings appendages (Thomas, Reynolds & Woiwood, 2001). The wings, which are dorsal appendages, must have developed from legs being ventral appendages through an evolutionary process that was characterized by dorsal relocation around the body of the insect. The particular portion of the leg which evolved into the insect wing is not known.

Wing development could also have occurred by extending dorsally from the thorax. A critical study between homology and paleontology could also bring forward another evolutionary perspective linking the origin of wings to structural modification of ancestral insect legs. The wings are currently possessed by all insect orders in various forms which can be used in their classification (Brodsky, 2009). The wings are so important to the modern insect that their absence could lead to survival challenges as well as difficulty in reproduction. This crucial relevance of wings to the insect was taken into account during its evolutionary process.