Evidence for Evolution Web Quest Lizzy Butler April 1, 2010 Period 3

Fossil Evidence Paleontologists are scientists who study the fossil record of ancient animals such as dinosaurs and humans ancient ancestors. They research historical information, and transform that data into hypotheses and hopefully prove these theories correct by examining the evidence. The fossil record is one way to help scientists find not only links to the past, but evidence for the process of evolution. Each new fossil shows new clues that increase our knowledge of lifes history and help us understand uestions about their evolutionary story. !ne example is the fossil of the "rchaeopteryx, an animal that lived between #$% and #&$ million years ago. The creature was composed of a long bony tail, 'aws with teeth, broad wings and feathers like birds, and the skeletal features of both reptiles and birds. The discovery proved that the hypothesis which stated that birds and reptiles were descended from a common ancestor. (ecause of the "rchaeopteryx, many holes were filled in the fossil record. )icholas *teno of the #+th century discovered a similarity between shark teeth and the rocks, glossopetrae, commonly called tongue stones. This was the first perception that fossils were a record of ancient life. The discovery led him to conclude that solid ob'ects that form first will cause other solids that form around the original ob'ect to conform to the shape of the first ob'ect. The tongue stone was buried in soft sediments of dirt which hardened later into rock, meaning the stone did not grow inside the rock. -e proved this by showing that ob'ects which hardened later . such as tree roots growing into rocks . conform to the shape of the rocks, rather than the rocks conforming to the shape of the tree root. "nother example is the tooth of a dinosaur, /guanodon, which was mistaken for a large iguana. This proved that many fossils were representations of extinct organisms. This fossil, discovered by 0antel, was the second dinosaur fossil named, the translation of the name /guanodon is 1iguana tooth.2 0any of these /guanodon fossils have been found around the world 3Europe and "merica4. The ammonite fossils contains holes that scientists derived to be the bite mark of a mosasaur which is a predatory marine reptile which lived during the same time period. /t is argued that the punctures are related to the shapes and capabilities of mosasaur teeth and 'aws as well as the holes being created by limpets attached to the fossil.
1/guanodon.2 Enchanted Learning. Enchanted5earning.com, 6%%7. 8eb. 6% 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;www.enchantedlearning.com;<sub'ects;<dinosaurs;<dinos;</guanodon.shtml=. 1The Theory of Evolution.2 Biology: The Dynamics of Life. >olumbus: 0c?raw@-ill >ompanies, 6%%&. A76@&#7. Print. Bniversity of >alifornia. 1)icholas *teno.2 Evolution Entrance. B> 0useum of Paleontology, 6%%C. 8eb. 6& 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;www.ucmp.berkeley.edu;<history;<steno.html=. !)eil, Dennis. 1Evidence of Evolution.2 Early Theories of Evolution. ).p., #6 0ar. 6%#%. 8eb. #E 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;anthro.palomar.edu;<evolve;<evolveFA.htm=.

"natomical Evidence *cientists use comparative anatomy to determine the relationships between species and populations. *cientists look at three facets of an organisms anatomy to determine their evolutionary path. They look at vestigial, homologous, and analogous structures across species to help them identify common ancestors and environments. (y examining this evidence, scientists can determine what species are related to each other, and which species have evolved independently of each other. Taxonomists use these similarities to classify animals into species and genus. Two early scientists who used anatomical evidence in furthering the theory of evolution were 5amarck and (uffon. Gestigial structures are parts of a body that no longer serves a useful function for the organism, but are still inherited as part of the body plan for the species. Gestigial comes from the 5atin word vestigium, meaning sign. The blind eyes of naked@role rats and cavefish are vestigial because the animals no longer use them for sight. -omologous structures are those that are similar in function and appearance between species. The forelimbs of many mammals, such as humans, cats, whales, and bats are very similar. "ll these forelimbs show the presence of digits at the end of the forelimb, even though in whales and bats the flesh and skin link the digits together into a seamless whole, the bones underneath are separate. Even though the organisms make different use of these forelimbs, the similarities in structure have led scientists to conclude that they are all descended from a common ancestor. "nalogous structures are those that serve a common purpose, but are different in structure or design. "lthough the wings of butterflies and birds perform similar functions, they are different in form and structure. *cientists have concluded that these species evolved independently from each other, but adapted to similar lifestyles. *cientists use anatomical similarities among a variety of species to group them into Genera. The species that make up a genus have evolved from a recent 3in evolutionary terms4 common ancestor. For example, the members of the genus Canis exhibit many anatomical similarities. 8olves and dogs are close relations to each other. 8hile they show some similarities with foxes, their common ancestor would have been further back in the evolutionary chain.
1Evidence for Evolution.2 Spark otes. *park)otes, 6%#%. 8eb. 6A 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;www.sparknotes.com;<biology;<evolution;<evidence;<sectionA.rhtml=. 1Evidence for Evolution >an (e Found in !ther Fields of (iology.2 Evidence for Evolution. Txtwriter, 6%%E. 8eb. 66 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;txtwriter.com;<(ackgrounders;<Evolution;<EGpage##.html=. 1-omologies: anatomy.2 !nderstanding Evolution. B>0P, 6%#%. 8eb. 66 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;evolution.berkeley.edu;<evolibrary;<article;<%F%F%;<linesF%$=. !)eil, Dennis. 1Evidence of Evolution.2 Early Theories of Evolution. ).p., #6 0ar. 6%#%. 8eb. #E 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;anthro.palomar.edu;<evolve;<evolveFA.htm=. 1The Theory of Evolution.2 Biology: The Dynamics of Life. >olumbus: 0c?raw@-ill >ompanies, 6%%&. A76@&#7. Print.

Embryology Evidence "n embryo is the earliest stage in the growth and development of multi@cellular organisms. 8hen embryologists see that young embryos from different species exhibit shared features, it provides the evidence that the species evolved from a distant, common ancestor. Different species in the same >lass tend to have very similar or identical embryos, but then develop more specialiHation as the embryo grows. "ccording to some sources, 1the embryo serves as a microcosm for evolution, passing through many of the stages of evolution to produce the current state of the organism.2 /n addition, homologous structures may appear in stages of embryonic development, but then disappear when the organism develops into an adult. Embryos display our evolutionary history. Fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals all will undergo different stages of embryonic development, but at some stage will show signs of similarity. /n the early stages of development, all of the embryos will have a tail and pharyngeal pouches. These pouches will develop into supports for gills in fish, in the other animals the pouches will develop into parts of the ears, 'aws, and throat. These shared features lend credence to the theory that these animals have developed from common ancestors. The embryos of snakes show that at one time in their evolution snakes had limbs. *ome species alive today have limb@buds as early embryos, but then lose these buds during their development. !thers develop these buds into vestigial structures. The study of the developing embryos of snakes, along with the fossil evidence of ancient snakes displaying hind limbs, provides support for the theory that snakes developed from limbed ancestors. -uman embryos provide evidence of our own evolution. *pecifically, every human embryo has a long bony tail, the vestige of which we carry to adulthood as the coccyx at the end of our spine. Early in the development, we also show gill slits 'ust as fish display. "dditionally, human fetuses have a fine fur during the fifth month of development. These developments show that new instructions get layered on top of old ones, suggesting the course that the evolution of the human species has followed.

1Evidence for Evolution.2 Spark otes. *park)otes, 6%#%. 8eb. 6A 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;www.sparknotes.com;<biology;<evolution;<evidence;<sectionA.rhtml=. 1Evidence for Evolution >an (e Found in !ther Fields of (iology.2 Evidence for Evolution. Txtwriter, 6%%E. 8eb. 66 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;txtwriter.com;<(ackgrounders;<Evolution;<EGpage##.html=. !)eil, Dennis. 1Evidence of Evolution.2 Early Theories of Evolution. ).p., #6 0ar. 6%#%. 8eb. #E 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;anthro.palomar.edu;<evolve;<evolveFA.htm=. 1The Theory of Evolution.2 Biology: The Dynamics of Life. >olumbus: 0c?raw@-ill >ompanies, 6%%&. A76@&#7. Print.

(iochemistry Evidence (iologists, scientists who study life, and chemists, scientists who study the composition of matter, combine to study the field of biochemistry in the search of evidence for evolution. *ince the discovery of D)" in the #7$%s, scientists have been able to study the similarity and differences in D)" between different species. !rganisms that are considered 1biochemically similar2 contain less differences in their amino acid se uences. /f these organisms had developed from different ancestors, then we would expect there to be more differences in their D)". *ince >harles Darwin, scientists have created evolutionary diagrams which represent levels of similarity among different species. !riginally, these diagrams were drawn based on observable features and behavior. Then in the #7+%s, some biologists used I)" and D)" nucleotide se uences to construct these diagrams. Their reasoning was that if two organisms have similar features and structures, and D)" molecules are the code used by the organisms to develop these features and structures, then the D)" molecules should be similar. "dditionally, scientists also compared the sections of D)" and I)" that were not directly related to the coding for specific features. /f evolution had not occurred, then these 1'unk D)"2 strands would show little or nor similarity. -owever, these strands show the same levels of similarity as those for other parts of the genome. This observation only makes sense if evolution has occurred. 8e can study the process of natural selection . which normally happens over millennium . in a significantly shorter period by observing the behavior of bacteria in a Petri dish. 8hen a lethal dosage of antibiotic is added to the Petri dish, there will be a mass die@off of the bacteria. *ome bacteria will survive displaying immunity to the antibiotic. The next generation will most likely be immune to the antibiotic, because they will have inherited the immunity from the surviving population. These bacteria will continue to produce succeeding generations that are immune to the antibiotic.

1The 0olecular Iecord.2 Evidence for Evolution. Txtwriter, 6%%E. 8eb. 66 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;txtwriter.com;<(ackgrounders;<Evolution;<EGpage#A.html=. !)eil, Dennis. 1Evidence of Evolution.2 Early Theories of Evolution. ).p., #6 0ar. 6%#%. 8eb. #E 0ar. 6%#%. 9http:;;anthro.palomar.edu;<evolve;<evolveFA.htm=.

1The Theory of Evolution.2 Biology: The Dynamics of Life. >olumbus: 0c?raw@-ill >ompanies, 6%%&. A76@&#7. Print.