Evidence for Evolution

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 Evidence
Evidence of
common
ancestry
among species
comes from
many sources.
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 1. FOSSIL RECORD
 Fossils -
preserved
remains of
previously living
organisms or
their traces,
dating from the
distant past.
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 TYPES OF FOSSILS

1. Sediment Fossil - dirt,

clay, sand and soil that the
organism gets covered with

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 • How sedimentary fossils
are formed:
• 1) Organism dies and becomes buried
under sediment
• 2) Organism gradually decomposes
and leaves a hollow impression or mold
in the sediment
• 3) Over a LONG PERIOD OF TIME
the mold gills in with sediment which
makes a cast of the organism
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 TYPES OF FOSSILS

2. Petrified Fossils - Minerals

replace bone, shell or other
hard part of the organism
•

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 TYPES OF FOSSILS

3. Trace fossils - Includes

footprints, tracks, trails and
burrows made by living things
•

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 TYPES OF FOSSILS

4. Cast- • Model in the shape of

a living thing or it's remains
• Forms when minerals or rock
particles fill the space in a
mold•
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 TYPES OF FOSSILS

5. Mold • Space in a
rock that has the
shape of the
remains of a living
things that once
occupied that
space. 9
 TYPES OF FOSSILS

6. Coprolite • Petrified remains

of animal dung

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 TYPES OF FOSSILS
7. Imprints •
Impressions of
parts of
organisms left
in soil or
sediment
before it
hardened 11
 Relative Dating of Fossils
 Estimates the time
during which an
organism lived
 It compares the
placement
of fossils in layers of
rock
 Scientists infer the
order in which species
existed 12
 #2 Geographical Distribution
 Geography & environment gives
evidence for evolution
 Island species most closely resemble
nearest mainland species
 Populations can show variation from
one island to another

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 #3 Embryology
 Embryo (early developmental stage) gives
evidence of evolution
 Identical larvae, different adult body
forms
 Similar embryos, related but diverse
organisms
 Shows
common Larva

ancestry
Adult crab Adult barnacle

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 #3 Embryology
Vertebrates
all share gill
slits and a
tail in their
early
embryo
stage;
Share a
common
ancestor
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 #4 Comparative Anatomy
 The study of anatomy provides
evidence of evolution
 Homologous structures are
similar in structure but
different in function.
 Homologous structures ARE
EVIDENCE of a common
ancestor.
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 Homologous Structures
ARM LEG Flipper Wing

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 #4 Comparative Anatomy
 Analogous structures are similar
in function but differ in structure
 Analogous structures DO NOT
show common ancestry

Fly wing

Bat wing 18
 Structural patterns are clues
to the history of a species.
Vestigial structures are remnants of
organs or structures that had a
function in an early ancestor.
Examples include ostrich wings, human
appendix, and wisdom teeth, whale
and snake pelvis/hind legs

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 #5 Molecular and Genetic
Evidence
 AKA Biochemical
Evidence
 Two closely-related
organisms will have
similar DNA, RNA, and
protein (amino acid)
sequences.
 This also gives
evidence of a common
ancestor. 20
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Five examples of Evidence
for Evolution

1.Fossils
2.Geographical Distribution
3.Embryology
4.Comparative Anatomy
5.Molecular and Genetic

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