EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION

WHAT IS LIFE?

• Living organisms share characteristics that set them apart

from non-living things, as explained by Dubeck et al. in
2004. These traits include cellular complexity, growth and
development through stages, reproduction for passing
traits to the next generation, sensitivity to stimuli, and
the ability to maintain balance in various environmental
conditions, known as homeostasis.
TWO WAYS TO RELATE TIME IN GEOLOGY:
• 1. Relative Time (“chronostratic”) in geology involves
dividing the Earth’s history into specific units based on the
order of events, typically determined by vertical position
in rock layers. These units have globally recognized names,
often identified through fossils.
• 2. Absolute Time (“chronometric”) refers to numerical
ages measured in millions of years, typically obtained
through radiometric dating of suitable rock types.
TWO TYPES OF EVIDENCE:

• DIRECT EVIDENCE –can be directly observed or seen

• INDIRECT EVIDENCE- does not involve actual observation
of evolution but from which evolution may be inferred
• Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species on
Earth in the past and present, and how the distribution is
affected by abiotic factors such as habitat, climate and
terrain. The field is divided into three disciplines of
biogeography: historical, ecological and conservation.
THREE DISCIPLINES OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
1. Historical Biogeography is also called paleobiogeography and
studies species distribution now as it relates to distribution in the
past.
2. Ecological Biogeography examines the distribution of species in
relation to biotic and abiotic factors in the environment.
3. Conservation Biogeography is a relatively new field of
biogeography which combines the study of conservation with
biogeography to try and anticipate future conditions so that
planning can be done to protect the biodiversity on Earth.
EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION
Alfred Russel Wallace, born in 1823
in Wales, is recognized as the
Father of Biogeography. His
extensive expedition in the Amazon
and South Asia from 1848 and eight
years in the Malay Archipelago led
to significant contributions. Wallace
identified the Wallace Line, a
boundary distinguishing Australian
and Asian fauna, and wrote
numerous scientific articles on
zoological topics during his travels.
• The fossil record, based on the Law of Superposition and
radiocarbon dating, helps scientists like paleontologists
and archaeologists accurately place events and species in
different geologic eras. By studying the layers of
undisturbed rock and using radiocarbon dating
techniques, scientists can date fossils, improving the
accuracy of our understanding of past environments with
each new discovery.
The information obtained from fossil is relatively
incomplete for several reasons:
1. Only a small number of fossils are found;
2. Soft tissues are rarely preserved;
3. Most fossils have been destroyed by erosion, and or/
movement of the earth’s crust may have caused some
fossils to be buries deeply; and
4. Fossilization takes place only in places where conditions
are favorable.
DNA and protein structure. All living cells have the same
basic DNA structure and use the same genetic code.
Proteins produced from genes all come from the same set
of amino acids. Comparing sections of DNA in difference
species has shown that even organisms that seem to be
different, actually have large sections of identical DNA.
Homology is defined as similar biological structures or sequences in different
taxa, thus implies divergent evolution. Homologous structures evolved from a
common ancestor. Examples of homologous structures include the forelimbs of
a variety of mammals.
Embryology is the study of how embryos develop, their structure, and function.
 EVIDENCE FROM
PHYSIOLOGY AND
BIOCHEMISTRY
Charles Darwin, born in 1809 in
Shrewsbury, England, studied
medicine at Edinburgh University. In
1859, he published “On the Origin
of Species,” presenting ideas about
evolution and natural selection.The
book convinced many people that
species change
over time suggesting that the
planet was much older than what
was commonly believed at the
time: six thousand years.
Species distribution refers to where different species live. Unique
species often exist in isolated areas or islands, which aligns with
the idea that isolation is crucial for new species to develop through
evolution. The theory of tectonic plate movement is supported by
fossil distribution, and it explains why certain regions, like Australia,
have distinct groups of animals like marsupials and monotremes
due to the movement of continents.
FOUR IMPORTANT MECHANISMS OF HOW
SPECIES EVOLVED

• 1. Mutation
• 2. Gene Flow
• 3. Natural Selection
• 4. Genetic Drift
MUTATION

• Mutations create new versions of genes in a

population by changing the DNA sequence. These
changes can lead to different traits. Mutations can
produce helpful, harmful, or neutral effects on an
organism. Harmful mutations are usually eliminated
by natural selection, while beneficial ones slowly
spread through a population.
GENE FLOW

• Gene flow is like the movement of genes between

different groups of plants or animals. Some populations
stay mostly the same, while others change more. For
instance, plants spread their seeds through wind or
animals, introducing new genes to different populations.
NATURAL SELECTION

• Natural Selection is about how certain traits (alleles)

affect how well an organism survives and has offspring. If
a trait is helpful, the organism with that trait is likely to
have more offspring, passing the trait to the next
generation. Over time, the beneficial trait becomes more
common in the population.
GENETIC DRIFT
• Genetic drift is the random change in allele frequencies
within a population due to chance events. This is more
significant in small populations. For instance, if an
individual in a small group dies before having offspring,
the genes it carries can be lost, impacting the population’s
genetic makeup. In larger populations, the impact is
smaller because losing one individual has a less significant
effect on the overall gene pool.
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