What does the appendix do? Biologists explain the complicated evolution of this inconvenient organ

The appendix has independently evolved at least 32 times across 361 mammalian species. What makes it an evolutionary darling when it’s more of a medical liability today?

By: Phil Starks, Tufts University and Lilia Goncharova, Tufts University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 9, 2026

Words: 1,108

Last Updated: 16 hours, 34 minutes ago

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By Phil Starks, Tufts University and Lilia Goncharova, Tufts University

Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast.

That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection. In “The Descent of Man,” he described the appendix as a vestige: a leftover from plant-eating ancestors with larger digestive organs. For more …

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