Why something exists, and what it’s good for, are two different things. Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, in his essay Of Kiwi Eggs and the Liberty Bell, argues that the large egg of the kiwi isn’t due to selection on the egg size, but due to the kiwi being a recent descendant of the moa, a much larger bird. The size of the eggs simply haven’t caught up with the rest of the bird ye. Their relative hugeness, like a whale’s pelvic bone, according to this story, is therefore a vestigial characteristic.
This particular story hasn’t held up well, since more recent DNA evidence shows that the kiwi is not closely related to the moa. This doesn’t mean Gould’s point that history matters is wrong. Here’s his quote of Voltaire’s Dr Pangloss:
Things cannot be other than they are … Everything is made for the best purpose. Our noses were made to carry spectacles, so we have spectacles. Legs were clearly intended for breeches, and we wear them.
History, more than function, may be hallmark of life. Giving priority to history is also the starting point for Assembly Theory.
Nehaveigur 