Early Study of Evolution

Science Lesson 1

Evolution

What do you think Evolution means?

Grab a dictionary and check out it's meaning

Evolution

Evolution is the theory that all the kinds of living things that exist today developed from earlier types. The difference between them resulted from changes that happened over many years

The English scientist Charles Darwin was the founder of the modern theory of Evolution. 

Evidence of Evolution

One type of evidence comes from fossils, or the remains of living things preserved in the ground or underwater.

·      Fossils show that many species that once existed were quite different from any kinds alive today. Dinosaurs are an example of this.

·      Many fossils also show that certain living things changed over time. For example, the bones of horses from more than 50 million years ago show that early horses where about the size of modern dogs.

·      Bones from several later stages of the horse show that they got bigger over time. 

DNA as an evidence of evolution

DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Genes are made up of DNA.

·      Very strong evidence of Evolution comes from the study of DNA-the material that carries a living thing’s genes.

·      Genes pass along traits, or characteristics, from one generation to the next.

·      The DNA of different species show that they developed from common ancestors.

Natural Selection

Evolution evolved from a process called natural selection.

This process can happen when an individual’s genes differ in some way from the genes of others of its kind.

Variations, or differences, in genes cause differences in an individual’s traits-such as how it looks. Its structure, or its behavior. 

Open Ended

Activity

1. Define evolution.

2. List two evidence of Evolution

3. Define fossil.

4. What is DNA?

5. Who is the founder of the modern theory of evolution?