Evidence for Evolution Revision

Biological evolution is genetic change in a population from one generation to another. Continuous evolution
over many generations can result in the development of new varieties and species.
What is natural selection – how it works

Evidence for evolution

1. the fossil record of change in earlier species

2. the chemical and anatomical similarities of related life forms
3. the geographic distribution of related species
4. the recorded genetic changes in living organisms over many generations

The Fossil Record

Fossilization is a rare event, and always occurs in sedimentary rock deposits. It has to occur somewhere where
there is very little decay, or else the organism will have decayed away before the fossil has formed.

Whole organisms are preserved with freezing, drying, in asphalt and amber, which is a resin from trees that
hardens.

Other methods are permineralisation, where the organism decays, and minerals in rocks take its place, molds
and casts, the inside or outside of the shape is retained, the organism is trapped in clay or mud and it hardens
around them. Impressions such as footprints form the same way.

Fossils can be dated with radioactive dating. The way this works is when an organism is alive the amount of
radioactive carbon in it, is the same as everywhere else, because it is being exchanged with the environment
all the time. Once it dies, the radioactive carbon slowly decays. So the amount left is a measure for how long
something has been dead. For other radioactive elements the parent isotope is measured compared to the
daughter isotope (the element the parent isotope has decayed to) the length of time passed can be calculated
using the known half life.

The fossil evidence shows that there have been a tremendous variety of living things over time. It also
shows that species are not fixed but can evolve into other species over time.

Chemical and Anatomical Similarities

DNA
Despite the great diversity of life on our planet, the simple language of the DNA code is the same for all living
things. This is evidence of the fundamental molecular unity of life.
There are many other biochemical molecules and processes common to all forms of life. The concept is that
they all evolved from the same initial biochemical molecules, because it is highly unlikely that such molecules
occurred spontaneously more than once.

Mammalian Forelimb and Vestigial organs

Many groups of species share the same types of body structures because they inherited them from a common
ancestor that had them. This is the case with the vertebrates, which are the animals that have internal
skeletons. The arms of humans, the forelegs of dogs and cats, the wings of birds, and the flippers of whales
and seals all have the same types of bones (humerus, radius, and ulna) because they have retained these traits
of their shared common ancient vertebrate ancestor.

Vestigial organs are also strong evidence for evolution. It shows that the species once used the organ, but as
time progressed with no need for it, it evolved into something that no longer functioned. A good example is
the wings of the emu which are obviously little wings but do not work.

Geographic Distribution of Related Species

Another clue to patterns of past evolution is found in the natural geographic distribution of related species. It
is clear that major isolated land areas and island groups often evolved their own distinct plant and animal
communities.

The tectonic plate theory explains how the land masses on the plates have moved with time. This isolates
groups of organisms, which then evolve separated from the rest of the species. If enough time passes they
become another species.

Speciation means changing from one species into another.

A species is a group of organisms, which when they reproduce have fertile offspring. Members of different
species cannot reproduce

Evidence for tectonic plate theory

 The physical fit between the continents

 The rock and mineral similarities on the edges of the continents
 The land masses are still moving
 Fossil evidence, marsupials originated in South America not Australia

Evidence for Evolution-Observation

Evolution is still happening, as it has always happened, scientists think that if processes are happening now,
then must have done the same in the past.

Species are still evolving, living things with shorter generation times evolve the quickest, for instance bacteria
becoming antibiotic resistant.

Examples are:
Peppered Moths and Industrial Melanism. Natural selection favors dark-colored moths in areas of heavy
pollution, while light-colored moths survive better in unpolluted areas.

Artificial Selection. Artificial selection practiced in laboratory studies, agriculture, and domestication
demonstrate that selection can produce substantial evolutionary change.

Charles Darwin proposed the Theory of Natural Selection to explain the evidence of evolution. The theory
states:

 A species normally contains a variety of adaptations

 More offspring of that species are produced than can survive
 The members of the species best adapted to the conditions will survive
 The adaptations will be transmitted from one generation to another

The reasoning behind this theory is:

If more offspring are produced than can survive, the best adapted ones will be the ones to survive- they will
then reproduce, and so the adaption will be transmitted, through their genes to their offspring. Therefore, the
next generation will have changed, compared to the last. Over time, this can result in speciation, the creation
of a new species.

Charles Darwin put forward his theory to explain observations and experiments he performed over many
years. This was before the discovery of DNA and the science of genetics, which explained perfectly how
Darwin’s theory worked in biochemical terms. This is why Darwin was called the ‘Newton of Modern Biology’
and when he died he had a state funeral and was buried in Westminster Abbey, in London.