Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution. The theory posits that all organisms alive
today have developed and adapted their bodies throughout history in order to gain the most
success. The purpose of this assignment is to discuss the evidence for evolution as well as
provide an example to illustrate this.
Ancient organism remains
This is the evidence of ancient organisms that can no longer be found exactly as is (New
England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.). A fossil is created over a long period of time when
organic material of living creatures is turned into stone (petrified), or when their body
imprints on what is now stone (New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.). This can only
happen to the bones, horns, and shells of these animals. Anything soft like skin, muscle, fat.
and tendons will decompose too quickly (New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.)
Small creatures could also have been encased in amber, which is the petrified resin of a tree
(New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.).
Resemblance
The existence of fossils that resemble creatures alive today. Sometimes million-year-old
fossils show a stark resemblance to creatures we have today (New England Complex Systems
Institute, n.d.-b). On the other hand, there are creatures alive today that can be linked to
vastly different creatures (New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.-b). This has led to
the theory can there is a common ancestor for all living organisms, but the changed the way
their body looks and works in order to survive (New England Complex Systems Institute.
n.d.-b).
Fossil layers
As stones, sand, animals, plants, layers on top of each other the compress the layers
underneath forming sedentary rock, with enough time different layers can be seen revealing
different animals throughout millions of years (New England Complex Systems Institute.
n.d.-b). The creatures on the lowest levels were very different from what we know now (New
England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.-b). Only after going from older to younger layers
were scientists able to recognize species which became more recognizable as the layers
became newer and newer (New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.-b).
Similarities in embryos
In the science of embryology, scientists have noticed that the unborn and unhatched babies of
different species begin the same and can sometimes be impossible to differentiate between
the earliest stages of some animals (New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.-d). The
embryos of humans and fish both begin with gill slits. They develop into gills on fish and
disappear on humans. This shows that there all species are related, and we all have common
ancestors (New England Complex Systems Institute, n.d.-d).
In conclusion, evidence for evolution exists in the existence of ancient remains in the form of
fossils and amber, layers of fossils showing changes over the course of millions of years.
species today that look like ancient organisms, and the similarities that exist in the embryos
of different species.
References
New England Complex Systems Institute. (n.d.). Ancient Organism Remains. Retrieved
October 18, 2022, from https://necsi.edu/ancient-organism-remains
New England Complex System