EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION

Definitions and Explanations

Palaeontology is the study of fossils and fossil related remains.
Fossils are the remains of an animal or plant that had existed in a past
geological age and had been excavated from deposit.
Fossilization is the preservation of living beings or their remains in the form
of fossils.
Difference b/w connecting link and missing link :
The living animals who possess the characteristics of two different groups
of animals are called connecting links. Such animals establish continuity
in the series by proving that one group evolved from another.
On the other hand ,missing links are those extinct animals which had
the characteristics of two different groups of animals. They help establish
the path of evolution.
Homologous organs are organs though different in function have a similar
embryogenic origin and development hand having similar relations with
adjacent organs. The phenomena is called Homology.
Analogous organs are those which perform the same function have
superficial resemblance to one another but are of different origin and this
phenomenon is known as analogy.
The study of one type of evidence of evolution is called embryology, the study
of embryos. An embryo is an unborn animal or human young in its earliest
phases. Embryos of many different kinds of animals: mammals, birds,
reptiles, fish, etc. look very similar and it is often difficult to tell them apart.
Many traits of one type of animal appear in the embryo of another type of
animal. This shows that the animals are similar and that they develop

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EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION
similarly, implying that they are related, have common ancestors and that
they started out the same, gradually evolving different traits
Temporary embryonic structure are those structure which the embryos of
certain animals develop which disappear before birth.
Recapitulation theory :"Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny". This means
that an embryo in its developments repeats the evolutionary history of its
ancestors.
Differences between Ontogeny and Phylogeny :
Ontogeny is the life history of an individual, starting with the ovum.
Phylogeny is a brief resume of the history of evolutionary history of an
organism.
Biogeography is the study of the geographic distribution of life-forms on
earth.
Differences between continuous and discontinuous distribution :
Organisms exhibiting worldwide distribution represents continuous
distribution.
Organisms which occur only in some restricted areas exhibit
discontinuous distribution.
Molecular similarities :
Universal Genetic Code : : The universal genetic code is a common
language for almost all organisms to translate nucleotide sequences of
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) to amino acid
sequences of proteins. This is used to confirm evolutionary
relationship between organisms.
Molecular Homology : There is similarity between the nucleic acids,
amino acid sequences in proteins ,structure of actin, and tubulin
proteins.
ATP : ATP synthesised during respiration is the energy currency of
many organisms.
Nitrogenous wastes : In all organisms, Ammonia(NH3) is the chief
waste.
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EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION
Blood groups :Humans posses four blood groups(i.e., A,B,AB,O),
whereas Apes posses three blood groups(i.e.,A,B,AB).
Adaptive radiation is the process of evolution of different species in a
geographical area starting from a point and literally radiating to other areas
of geography [OR] because of competition of food and living, a single
ancestral species evolves into different species which occupy different areas.
Vestigial Organs are thoose organs which are non-functional in the
possessor but were fully functional in their ancestors.
Atavism also known as reversion, is the sudden reappearance of certain
ancestral but not parental structure which has either completely
disappeared or greatly reduced.

Examples
Missing links :Archaeopteryx lithographica, It shares the features of both
reptiles and birds.Reptilian features - toothed jaw,long tale with free caudal
vertebrae, and weak and keel-less sternum. Avian features - feathered body,

wings, four toes adapted for perching.

Connecting Links :
Lung fishes-b/w fishes and amphibians
Euglena-b/w animals and plants
Chimaera-b/w cartilaginous fish and bony fish.
Homologous Organs :
Forelimbs of man ,cheetah ,whale ,and bat.
Hearts of fishes, amphibians, reptile, and mammal.
Brain of fishes, frogs, birds, cat, and man.
Thorn of Bougainvillea and tendril and Cucurbita.
Analogous Organs :
Wings of butterfly and birds
Eye of octopus and mammals.
Flippers of penguins and dolphins.
Sweet potato and potato.
Vestigial Organs :
Reptilian jaw apparatus.
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EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION
Hind limbs of python.
Auricular muscle of pinna.
Segmented abdomen muscle.
Wisdom tooth
Atavism :
Short tail in baby
Citrus leaf with leaflets
Additional mammae
Adaptive radiation : Darwin's Finches -Darwin observed the Galapagos finches
had a graded series of beak sizes and shapes and predicted these species were
modified from one original mainland species.

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