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Evidence of Evolution
● Overwhelming evidence supports the theory of
evolution
● Primary sources of evidence are:
○ The fossil record
○ Comparative morphology
○ Biogeography

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 Fossil Record
● Fossils: remains or traces of past organisms
○ Fossil record: gives a visual of evolutionary
change over time
■ Fossils can be dated by examining the rate of
carbon 14 decay and the age of rocks where the
fossils are found
■ Gives geographical data for the organisms found

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 Comparative Morphology
● Comparative morphology: analysis of the structures
of living and extinct organisms
○ Homology: characteristics in related species that
have similarities even if the functions differ
■ Embryonic homology: many species have similar
embryonic development
■ Vestigial structures: structures that are
conserved even though they no longer have a
use
● Example: tailbone and appendix in humans
■ Molecular homology: many species share similar
DNA and amino acid sequences
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Comparative Morphology
○ Homologous
structures:
characteristics that are
similar in two species
because they share a
common ancestor
■ Example: arm bones
of many species

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 Comparative Morphology
● Convergent evolution: similar adaptations that
have evolved in distantly related organisms due to
similar environments
○ Analogous structures: structures that are
similar but have separate evolutionary origins
■ Example: wings in birds vs bats vs bees
● Each species have wings, but the wings did
not originate from a common ancestor

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 Comparative Morphology
● Structural evidence indicates common ancestry
of all eukaryotes
○ Many fundamental and cellular features and
processes are conserved across organisms
■ Cellular examples:
● Membrane-bound organelles
● Linear chromosomes
● Introns in genes

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 Biogeography
● Biogeography: the distribution of animals and
plants geographically
○ Example: Species on oceanic islands resemble
mainland species
○ Example: species on the same continent are
similar and distinct from species on other
continents

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 Quick Review
1. What type of data provides evidence for
evolution?
a. Answer: fossil data, biogeography, and
morphology
2. In terms of natural selection, how can structures
become vestigial?
a. Answer: a structure may have been useful at
one time, but maybe there was a mutation that
rendered it useless. Therefore it was
conserved across generations, neither being
selected for or against
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 Putting It All Together
● Populations continue to evolve
○ Genomes change
■ Examples:
● Antibiotic resistance in bacteria
● Insect resistance to pesticides
● Pathogens cause emerging (new) diseases

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