EVIDENCE, PLEASE

1. Fossil Evidence
There is a lot of fossil evidence for evolution, but the evidence is like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing. But we can still see the overall picture.

Remember that a fossil is any evidence of an organism that lived long ago.

1. Fossil Evidence
There are several kinds of fossils: preserved fossils, petrified fossils, molds, imprints, trace fossils and whole preserved organisms. In order to be preserved, most fossils need to be buried in sedimentary rock shortly after the organism dies.

1. Fossil Evidence

Imprint
Mold

Petrified tree

1. Fossil Evidence
Preserved Human

Ice Man
He died 5,300 years ago

Fossils provide evidence for evolution by dating the fossils, and seeing organisms change over the fossil record.

1. Fossil Evidence
Fossils can be dated by two methods. The first is simply comparing fossils in sedimentary layers, called relative dating. The oldest fossils are those in the lowest layers. Younger fossils are those near the top.

1. Fossil Evidence
Fossils can be dated by two methods. The first is simply comparing fossils in sedimentary layers, called relative dating. The oldest fossils are those in the lowest layers. Younger fossils are those near the top.

Relative dating can only compare ages, not to accurately Provide an age for any fossil

1. Fossil Evidence
Radioactive Dating can give the absolute age of most fossils. By testing radioactive isotopes, a precise age can be determined.

Radioactive materials decay at a steady rate (so steady and reliable, in fact, that the most accurate clocks in the world use radioactive materials). Carbon -14 works well for organic matter.

1. Fossil Evidence
An example of how radioactive dating works using potassium-40 Carbon can date carbon compounds up to 60,000 years old; Potassium can date rocks over 100,000 years old; Uranium-lead dating can date rocks over 3 billion years old!

The U.S. Standard of time. Its time reading can be found at:
http://nist.time.gov/

Cesium Fountain Clock

2. Anatomical Evidence
Relationships can be shown by similarities in anatomy. For example, all mammals have very similar anatomies skeletons, internal organs, etc.
Well look at four aspects of anatomy; homologous structures analogous structures vestigial structures embryo comparison.

A. Homologous Structures
A homologous structure is a modified structure that is seen among different groups of descendants similar structure but different functions.

A good example is the bone structure of mammals as seen here.

A. Homologous Structures
Homologous structures are believed to have a common evolutionary origin (a common ancestor). Homologous structures developed from the same embryonic tissue changed as the tissue matured

Pendactyl Limbs similar structures but different function

B. Analogous Structures
Structures that are similar in function, but different in structure are analogous structures.

A good example is wings. The wings of birds and moths are very different in structure, but serve a similar function.

B. Analogous Structures
Analogous structures are believed to show that similar environmental pressures resulted in similar solutions, through different means.

B. Analogous Structures
Analogous structures are believed to show that similar environmental pressures resulted in similar solutions, through different means.

Wings for Flight different structural composition Birds hollow bones Butterflies wings made of chitin Bats non-hollow bones

2. Anatomical Evidence

C. Vestigial Structures

C. Vestigial Structures
Structures that have a reduced function or no function in an organism are called vestigial structures.

C. Vestigial Structures
Vestigial structures are believed to be structures that were used in an ancestor.

Why have eye bulbs in blind salamanders?

Humans have a tailbone!

D. Embryo Comparison
D. Embryo comparison show similarities between the embryos of different organisms. The more similar two organisms are, the more similar they appear in the embryonic state and the longer it takes to see the differences.

D. Embryo Comparison
Can you tell which embryo is human?

All vertebrate embryos have gill slits and tails

Strongly supports the idea of a common ancestor!

3. Genetic Evidence

Best Evidence

3. Genetic Evidence
Genetic comparisons also help us to see evolutionary differences & similarities.

By looking at the nucleotide sequences in DNA, scientists can determine relationships among species and individuals.

3. Genetic Evidence

For example, orangutans and gorillas are genetically 96.3% identical.

In other words, 3.7% of their DNA accounts for all of their differences.

 Chimps have 1 extra chromosome

compared to humans, but karyotype and sequence data show that human chromosome 2 resulted from a fusion of chimp chromosomes 2A and 2B

Strongly supports the idea of a common

ancestor

3. Genetic Evidence
Gorillas and Chimpanzees are 97.7% identical. Chimps and humans are 98.2% identical.

3. Genetic Evidence
Genetic comparisons provide the strongest single piece of evidence for evolution. A high level of identical DNA indicates a close common ancestor. All all living organisms have DNA

Myth Busters!
Myth: Humans Evolved from Monkeys.

Not possible.
Humans and monkeys exist today. One could not have come from the other. Chimps are close relatives, but not ancestors. Humans evolved from a primate that no longer exists.