Is evolution a theory or is there specific

evidence that shows it is true? L.F.

Topic 6.6
Evidence for Evolution (pg. 5 & 6)
EXPLAINS WHY IT
HAPPENS.
HEY, LET ME
BREAK IT DOWN ”EDUCATED
FOR YOU. GUESS”

OBSERVATION DESCRIBES A
PHENOMENON.
YO, THIS IS
GONNA HAPPEN
THEORY IS NOT JUST A “HUNCH” OR
GUESS, IT’S THE CLOSEST THING
WE’VE GOT TO THE #TRUTH!
Darwin traveled the world in the HMS
Beagle collecting data. He explained his
observations by creating the
Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.
1. Species are related by a common ancestor.
2. Populations change over time.
 There is a substantial amount of evidence for evolution

Physical Evidence Molecular Biogeography Artificial Selection

Evidence
• Fossil Record DNA Comparing locations Observing (direct
• Embryology comparison of mainland and observation) changes
• Comparative Anatomy island species in organisms over a
• Homologous Structures short period of time
• Analogous Structures
• Vestigial Structures
Fossil Record
• Fossils: traces of organisms from the past.
• New layers on top older (primitive) layers
toward the bottom.
• Suggests species change over time!
• Methods to date fossils:
relative dating & radiometric dating
 Embryology-
the study of eukaryotic organisms in the very earliest stages
of their development
All chordate embryos have very
similar structure, despite
different adult forms.

Evolution explains this by saying

all chordates evolved from a
single common ancestor.

In Darwin’s words…
“Community of embryonic structure reveals community of descent…”
 Larva

Adult crab Adult barnacle

• Identical larvae, different

adult body forms.
• Similar embryos, diverse
organisms.
Comparative Anatomy: studying the
structures and body parts of organisms
• Homologous Structures - characteristics
shared by different species that have very
similar structures

In Darwin’s words…
“What could be more curious than that the hand of a man, formed for
grasping, that of a mole for digging, the leg of the horse, the paddle of the
porpoise, and the wing of the bat, should all be constructed on the same
pattern, and should include the same bones, in the same relative positions?”
Homologous Structures

Humans, birds, porpoises and

elephants have similar structure and
are much more closely related to each
other than they are to a fly

Clip from “Your Inner Fish” – We hear with the bones reptiles
eat with – 4 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJc008GY8vI
 Human hand
Analogous Structures: structures that evolved for a common
Mole foot

purpose/function; not evidence of evolution!

Fly wing Bat wing

 Vestigial Structures – structures in an organism that seem
to have no useful purpose today, but were once useful

Human appendix Ostrich wings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFxu7NEoKC8
The coccyx is a
vestigial tail. Populations that have evolved while
living in caves often have vestigial eyes
Whales have vestigial
hind legs.
Molecular Evidence
DNA Sequences:
• Two closely-related
organisms will have similar
DNA sequences.
• Molecular and genetic
evidence support fossil and
anatomical evidence and to
classify organisms.
Biogeography-the pattern of distribution of species in the world

• Organisms with similar structures tend to be

found in the same geographical region because
they evolved from a single common ancestor.

• Marsupials are mainly found in Australia because

they evolved from a common ancestor that came
from South America.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/28/science/la-sci-marsupial-20100728
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290413985_Marsupial_and_Monotreme_Evolution_And_Biogeography
If marsupials are “mainly” found in Australia,
why are there so many in South America?
South America and Australia used to be part
of the same continent called Gondwana.
Okay, then why are there marsupials in my
backyard (North America)?

• Didelphis virginiana – the only

marsupial species in North
America
North and South
America got connected
and the possum
moved north, while
the placental
mammals move south
and wiped out most of
the South American
marsupials.
• Island species most closely resemble nearest mainland species
• Populations can show variation from one island to another
• Each island has a different main food source
Artificial Selection- The intentional breeding by humans for specific
traits in animals and plants.

If plant and animal breeders were

able to cause huge difference in
organisms in just a few years
through artificial selection, then
it is easy to understand that
natural selection could make
huge changes over hundreds of
millions of years.
 Pigeon keepers were able to
breed a huge variety of forms
from the common pigeon.

English Fantail Pigeon Jacobin Pigeon

Plant breeders have
exploited mutations to
turn mustard into a
variety of different
vegetables.
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