Evolution – introductory questions

Evidence for evolution

Aims:
 Define evolution.
 Outline the evidence for evolution provided by the fossil record, selective
breeding of domesticated animals and homologous structures.

Questions about the video, “What is the evidence for evolution?”

1. Give a textbook definition of Evolution

Evolution is defined as the process of cumulative change in the
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heritable characteristics of a population

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2. Biologists claim that each branch of the evolutionary tree can be traced back to a single
shared ancestor. What is the shared ancestor of whales and dolphins thought to be?
They evolved form an ancient 4 legged land mammal
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Evidence for evolution often uses comparison of features. Family members are assumed to share
similar features.

3. Describe three features of whales and dolphins which are also shared by land mammals.
The have placenta, warm blood, they can milk,
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One particularly striking similarity is the composition of bones in the limbs of whales dolphins and
land mammals.

4. Describe the structure of bones in the pentadactyl limb found in all

vertebrates.
Whales have arm, wrist, hand and finger bones inside their flippers
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5. Why is this called a homologous feature ?

Because they have the similar basic shape and the position of the limb bones
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Image public domain
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© David Faure, InThinking http://www.thinkib.net/biology 1

 6. Why does this suggest that all vertebrates share a common ancestor?
Because their anotomy is similar
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Sometimes examples of species which are intermediate steps in a

gradual process of change between two animals can be found in the
fossil record. These species may have become extinct, but even if
they haven’t the fossils can show how the animals looked many years
ago. This can provide further evidence of the accumulation of gradual
changes in the heritable characteristics of a species.
1Image by ArthurWeasley
~commonswiki
7. Describe the features of Basilosaurid whales which provide
evidence to link modern land mammals to modern whales and dolphins.
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structure Skull, nasal opening and the back the legs, hind limb, develops
hips, Bones
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8. Describe how a long line of fossils showing gradual changes in body anatomy from ancient
‘walking whales’ to modern day whales supports the theory of evolution, as a ‘cumulative
change in the heritable characteristics of a species’.

The bones show evidence that walking whales had lower small limps
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DNA comparisons can also provide evidence about how closely related two species are. An
accumulation of changes in observable heritable features must link to changes in the DNA.

Evidence for changes in characteristics in modern animals also provides strong evidence for the
mechanism of evolution. There are many breeds of domesticated animals from cattle to dogs which
illustrate this nicely.

9. Describe what happens in the selective breeding of farm animals, giving one example.
This process is repeated over several generations to establish and enhance desired
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characteristics within a population. For instance, in dairy cattle breeding, cows that produce
high quantities of milk are selected to mate with bulls that also have strong milk-producing
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genes. This selective process increases the likelihood of offspring inheriting the desired trait of
high milk production.
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10. Explain how this example supports the theory of evolution.

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This example supports the theory of evolution by demonstrating how selective breeding,
over generations, can lead to the enhancement of specific traits within a population.
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Through artificial selection, humans mimic the natural selection process, showing how
species can change and adapt over time, which aligns with the core principles of
evolution.