Evidence of Evolution

EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION
Introduction
Evolution is a key unifying principle in biology. As Theodosius Dobzhansky once said, “Nothing in
biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”
But what, exactly, are the features of biology that make more sense through the lens of evolution?
To put it another way, what are the indications or traces that show evolution has taken place in the past and
is still happening today?
Evolution happens on large and small scales.
Before we look at the evidence, let's make sure we are on the same page about what evolution is.
Broadly speaking, evolution is a change in the genetic makeup (and often, the heritable features) of a
population over time. Biologists sometimes define two types of evolution based on scale:
 Macroevolution, which refers to large-scale changes that occur over extended time periods, such
as the formation of new species and groups.
 Microevolution, which refers to small-scale changes that affect just one or a few genes and
happen in populations over shorter timescales.
EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION
1. ANATOMICAL AND STRUCTURAL
A. HOMOLOGOUS
 If two or more species share a unique
physical feature, such as a complex bone
structure or a body plan, they may all have
inherited this feature from a common
ancestor. Physical features shared due to
evolutionary history (a common ancestor)
are said to be homologous.
 Homologous structures are anatomical
features that have a common evolutionary
origin but may serve different functions in
different species. For example, the forelimbs
of humans, bats, and whales all have similar
bone structures, suggesting a common
ancestor with forelimb adaptations for
various purposes.
B. ANALOGOUS
 To make things a little more interesting and
complicated, not all physical features that look alike
are marks of common ancestry. Instead, some
physical similarities are analogous: they evolved
independently in different organisms because the
organisms lived in similar environments or
experienced similar selective pressures. This
process is called convergent evolution. (To
converge means to come together, like two lines
meeting at a point.)
C. VESTIGIAL
 Vestigial structures are remnants of anatomical
features that had important functions in the
ancestors of a species but are now reduced or
functionless in the species itself. For instance, the
human appendix is thought to be a vestige of a larger, functional structure in our evolutionary
history, like the cecum in herbivorous mammals.
2. COMPARATIVE EMBRYOLOGY
 Embryology is the study of the development
of embryos from fertilization until they
become fetuses, or the point at which you
can distinguish the species. Comparative
embryology is the comparison of embryo
development across species. For example,
in the early stages of development, many
vertebrate embryos, including humans,
exhibit similar structures such as gill
pouches, tail buds, and pharyngeal arches.
These commonalities suggest a shared
evolutionary history.
3. FOSSIL RECORD
 Fossils are the preserved remains of
previously living organisms or their traces,
dating from the distant past. The fossil record
is not, alas, complete or unbroken: most
organisms never fossilize, and even the
organisms that do fossilize are rarely found
by humans. Nonetheless, the fossils that
humans have collected offer unique insights
into evolution over long timescales.
4. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
 Like structural homologies, similarities between biological molecules can reflect shared evolutionary
ancestry. At the most basic level, all living
organisms share:
o The same genetic material (DNA)
o The same, or highly similar, genetic codes
o The same basic process of gene
expression (transcription and translation)
o The same molecular building blocks, such
as amino acids
 These shared features suggest that all living

things are descended from a common ancestor,
and that this ancestor had DNA as its genetic
material, used the genetic code, and expressed
its genes by transcription and translation.

Evidence of Evolution

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EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION

Evolution happens on large and small scales.

1. ANATOMICAL AND STRUCTURAL

 These shared features suggest that all living

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