Describe the evidences of evolution with suitable examples.
How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.
1 · Define evolution. Evolution is the slow change of living things over a long time, from simple to complex forms.
2 · Morphological and anatomical evidence.
Homologous organs: same structure, different function (human arm, whale flipper, bat wing)
Analogous organs: different structure, same function (wings of an insect and a bird)
Vestigial organs: appendix, wisdom teeth, coccyx
3 · Embryological evidence. Early embryos of fish, frog, bird and human look alike and have gill slits: Haeckel's biogenetic law (recapitulation theory).
4 · Palaeontological evidence. Fossils show simple forms in older rocks and complex forms in younger rocks. Archaeopteryx links reptiles and birds.
5 · Draw Archaeopteryx. Label the feathers, wings, teeth, clawed fingers and long tail.
6 · Link to daily life. Our own wisdom teeth and appendix are vestigial, left over from our ancestors.
7 · Close in one line. All these evidences point to common ancestors, so living things have evolved.
Scoring tip: Give one example under each evidence. Mark the reptile and bird features clearly on the Archaeopteryx diagram.
