Transcript Evidences of Evolution

Evidences of Evolution
Honors Biology
Jefferson County High School
J. Harper
CLE 3210.5.4
1. Fossil Evidence
A fossil is the preserved remains or
imprint of an organism that lived many
years ago.
 Fossil evidence shows the changes
between species that lived in the past and
those alive today.
 Scientists have used fossils to show the
similarities between species that are
extinct and their modern relatives.
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2. Comparative Morphology
Many species have a common anatomical
(physical) structure.
 The branch of science in which structures of
living things are compared to understand
their development among species is called
comparative morphology.
 (“Morph”- form, “ology” – study of)
 Bone structures and body parts can be
divided into two distinct categories.
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Body Part Categories
A. Analogous Structures- serve the same
purpose in different species but evolved
independently. In other words, these
structures did not evolve from the same
structures in a common ancestor.
 Example: Butterflies, bats & birds wings
B. Homologous Structures- are similar body
parts found in different species. These
body parts provide evidence that each of
the different organisms developed from a
common ancestor.
 Example: Forelimb bone structure
3. Embryology
An embryo is: a developing organism at a
stage prior to birth or hatching.
 Embryology is the study of living things
before birth. Many organisms are very
similar in appearance and have common
features as embryos but vary significantly
as adults.
 These similarities provide evidence for
evolution from common ancestors.
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4. Biochemical Evidence
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Organisms that look similar today are believed to
have a more recent common ancestor than do
organisms that look very different. However, we do
not rely solely on outward appearances.
By looking at similarities in DNA using gel
electrophoresis, scientists can tell how closely
related two organisms are by comparing the number
of base pairs they have in common.
Example: Many organisms contain a red blood cell
protein called hemoglobin. The amino acid sequence
for this protein in humans is almost identical to the
sequence for this protein in gorillas. They differ by
only one amino acid.
Newspaper Article Assignment
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Get in groups of 3-4.
Design a newspaper article about the evidences
of evolution. Your article should tell the public
about the evidence for evolution. Summarize
what you have learned today.
Make a creative title for your newspaper.
Write a creative, catchy headline for your article.
You must have at least one picture in your
newspaper. It should have a caption!
Your newspaper should have the date and the
writer’s names on it.
Make it colorful!