Evolution:: Where'S The Evidence?

EVOLUTION:
WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE?
Examples of evidence from:

• The fossil record
• Living populations
• The DNA record
www.christs.cam.ac.uk/darwin200
EVIDENCE & EVOLUTION
What’s the evidence that evolution by natural selection happens?
There’s lots! Too much to

catalogue here…
But we can discuss the sorts of evidence scientists have.

Evidence supporting natural selection comes from many sources,
including:
• the fossil record
• observations of living populations
• the DNA record
THE FOSSIL RECORD
Its very difficult to become a fossil

THE FOSSIL RECORD

THE FOSSIL RECORD

THE FOSSIL RECORD

THE FOSSIL RECORD

THE FOSSIL RECORD

THE FOSSIL RECORD
?
THE FOSSIL RECORD
Despite this the fossil record provides lots of evidence for evolution:
• the earliest fossils appear in rocks 1-2 billion years old
• the earliest fossil animals appear in rocks about 650 million years old
• the fossil record contains many examples of intermediates between groups
TRANSITIONAL FOSSILS: example 1 – from fish to tetrapods
Tetrapods share ancestry with lobe-finned fish.

coelocanth
salamander

coelocanth
Acanthostega
salamander

coelocanth
Acanthostega
Tiktaalik
salamander

coelocanth
Acanthostega
Tiktaalik
Ichthyostega
salamander
TRANSITIONAL FOSSILS: example 1 – from dinosaurs to birds
Birds are living descendents of dinosaurs.
Coelophysis
Coelophysis
Archeopteryx
Coelophysis
Archeopteryx
Caudipteryx
Coelophysis
Archeopteryx
Caudipteryx
Confuciusornis
LIVING POPULATIONS
Evolution is often thought to be very slow, too slow to observe within a human lifetime.
This isn’t true! We have a number of examples of evolution caught in action.

LIVING POPULATIONS
Evolution is often thought to be very slow, too slow to observe within a human lifetime.
This isn’t true! We have a number of examples of evolution caught in action.
MICROEVOLUTION
Microevolution is evolutionary changes within a population.

- changes in allele frequencies
- often has a small but significant phenotypic effect
Over many generations microevolution can ‘sum up’ to produce large changes.
- it is the engine of evolution!
MICROEVOLUTION: example 1 – Darwin’s finches
The Galapagos Islands are home to 13 species of finches.
They are more closely related to each other than to any other species.
They are descended from a finch species that migrated to the islands from South
America.
The Galapagos Islands are home to 13 species of finches.
They are more closely related to each other than to any other species.
They are descended from a finch species that migrated to the islands from South
America.
Since arriving on the island the finches have:

- Specialised
- Diverged
They now occupy different niches, each species

feeding in a different way.
Scientists have been studying the ground finches on one island called Daphne for 40 years.
There are 3 ground finches: a large, medium and small species

which specialise on large, medium and small seeds.
with different sized beaks to match – big seeds need big beaks to crack open

The researchers observed the finches during a drought:

• plants struggled with water shortage
• they produced fewer seeds
• the finches quickly ate all the small seeds

• only large, tough seeds were left
• only the birds with the largest beaks could find food
• the smaller-beaked birds starved

The researchers observed the finches during a drought:

• plants struggled with water shortage
• they produced fewer seeds
• the finches quickly ate all the small seeds

• only large, tough seeds were left
• only the birds with the largest beaks could find food
• the smaller-beaked birds starved
the average beak size of the large ground finch
increased by 1mm in one season – >10% increase!
MICROEVOLUTION: example 1 – melanism in peppered moths
Melanism is the occurrence of both a dark and light form of a species.
The peppered moth is a famous example.
The peppered moth (Biston betularia) has a few forms, one

is:
- typica - speckled white
- carbonaria – black
They are found in woods in Britain, they are active at night

and predated on by birds during the day when they are at
rest on branches.
During the industrial revolution soot covered the lichen on

tree trunks, the typica form was more easy for birds to spot
& the carbonaria arose and increased in frequency.
By 1895, 98% of Mancunian population were black.
A biologist called Kettlewell performed experiments to show that birds ate more typica than
carbonaria in the 1950s.
The Clean Air Act was introduced in the 1950s, trees regained their former appearance.
The typical form 6% to 30% by 1984 and continues to increase.
carbonaria
This became a text book case of evolution in
0.14 action.
0.12
0.1 However anti-evolutionists attacked the

0.08
Series1
evidence.
0.06
0.04
Mike Majerus at Cambridge University
0.02
responded by re-doing Kettlewell’s experiments
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 – his hypothesis was that Carbonaria would
Year
decrease in frequency.
carbonaria
This became a text book case of evolution in
0.14 action.
0.12
0.1 However anti-evolutionists attacked the

0.08
Series1
evidence.
0.06
0.04
Mike Majerus at Cambridge University
0.02
responded by re-doing Kettlewell’s experiments
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 – his hypothesis was that Carbonaria would
Year
decrease in frequency.
That’s what he found! He tested each claim made by the critics and found no support for
any of them: melanism in the peppered moth was confirmed as an example of
microevolution
DNA
DNA is a molecule that carries instructions on how to build an organism.
It encodes information to build and express proteins:
DNA
messenger RNA
Protein
It is passed on from parent to offspring.

Mutations in an organism’s DNA produce
phenotypic changes – which natural selection
then works one
THE DNA RECORD
All living organisms use DNA as their genetic information. As it is passed through
generations the DNA sequence evolves.
We can sequence homologous stretches of DNA from different species and use them
to test for relatedness.
THE DNA RECORD
HOX gene expression in mice.. … and humans
We can also see that these same stretches

of DNA often have conserved functions.
For example the HOX genes control the

development of the body axis in animals.
THE DNA RECORD
HOX gene expression in mice.. … and humans
We can also see that these same stretches

of DNA often have conserved functions.
For example the HOX genes control the

development of the body axis in animals.
DNA evolves through common descent

& is acted upon by natural selection
THE DNA RECORD
Changes in DNA cause changes in development –acted upon by natural selection
For example: three-spine sticklebacks

THE DNA RECORD
Changes in DNA cause changes in development –acted upon by natural selection
For example: three-spine sticklebacks
Mutations in the gene Pitx1 affect the

development of pelvic spines.
Pelvic spines are a defence against

predation by fish.
Loss of the spines are thought to help

the fish escape crustacean predators
living on the water bed.
CONCLUSIONS: THE EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION
-Evidence from the fossil record
- Evidence from living populations
- Evidence from the DNA record
- Heritable changes in DNA affecting development fitness
For more information on these examples and for more examples visit:

Evolution:: Where'S The Evidence?

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EVOLUTION:

WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE?

Examples of evidence from:

There’s lots! Too much to

But we can discuss the sorts of evidence scientists have.

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Its very difficult to become a fossil

Tetrapods share ancestry with lobe-finned fish.

Tetrapods share ancestry with lobe-finned fish.

Tetrapods share ancestry with lobe-finned fish.

Tetrapods share ancestry with lobe-finned fish.

Birds are living descendents of dinosaurs.

Birds are living descendents of dinosaurs.

Birds are living descendents of dinosaurs.

Birds are living descendents of dinosaurs.

This isn’t true! We have a number of examples of evolution caught in action.

This isn’t true! We have a number of examples of evolution caught in action.

Microevolution is evolutionary changes within a population.

The Galapagos Islands are home to 13 species of finches.

The Galapagos Islands are home to 13 species of finches.

Since arriving on the island the finches have:

They now occupy different niches, each species

There are 3 ground finches: a large, medium and small species

There are 3 ground finches: a large, medium and small species

The researchers observed the finches during a drought:

• the finches quickly ate all the small seeds

There are 3 ground finches: a large, medium and small species

The researchers observed the finches during a drought:

• the finches quickly ate all the small seeds

Melanism is the occurrence of both a dark and light form of a species.

The peppered moth is a famous example.

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) has a few forms, one

They are found in woods in Britain, they are active at night

During the industrial revolution soot covered the lichen on

0.1 However anti-evolutionists attacked the

0.1 However anti-evolutionists attacked the

DNA is a molecule that carries instructions on how to build an organism.

It encodes information to build and express proteins:

It is passed on from parent to offspring.

We can also see that these same stretches

For example the HOX genes control the

We can also see that these same stretches

For example the HOX genes control the

DNA evolves through common descent

Changes in DNA cause changes in development –acted upon by natural selection

For example: three-spine sticklebacks

Changes in DNA cause changes in development –acted upon by natural selection

For example: three-spine sticklebacks

Mutations in the gene Pitx1 affect the

Pelvic spines are a defence against

Loss of the spines are thought to help

-Evidence from the fossil record

- Evidence from living populations

- Evidence from the DNA record

- Heritable changes in DNA affecting development fitness

-Evidence from the fossil record

- Evidence from living populations