Evidences of Evolution

• Natural Selection


  The process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change
• Variation in physical characteristics


  Individuals in a species show variation in physical characteristics due to differences in their genes
• Types of evolution


  • The Theory of Evolution or "Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection"
• Homologous Structures


  Structures shared by two or more species that may have inherited from a common ancestor
• Analogous Structures


  Structures evolved independently in different organisms due to living in similar environments or experiencing similar selective pressures
• Fossils are preserved remains of organisms that are no longer living, found in sedimentary rocks
• Fossils can show how organisms appeared and disappeared, changed over time, extinction, links between groups, climate, environmental conditions, and the transition from simple to complex forms
• Methods Used in Determining the Age of Fossils

  Include igneous and metamorphic rocks, stratigraphic correlation method, and sedimentary rocks
• Fossil age can be determined by the depth of fossils in lower layers, Carbon-14 dating, and half-life
• The fossil record is incomplete due to soft tissue covering many fossils, certain types of habitats, and the need for favorable conditions for preservation
• Embryonic Development or Embryology indicates common ancestry through shared characteristics like gills and tails
• Molecular Biology shows biochemical similarities in proteins, RNA, DNA, genetic code universality, chromosome structure, and chlorophyll
• Biogeography studies the distribution of species and how it relates to evolution