a
Fossils
The fossil record is so abundant that the only occurring "problem" is deciding if, for example, a fossil should be called a "reptile-like mammal" or "mammal-like reptile." It is actually extremely rare for the bones of a living creature to even become fossilized. In order for an organism to be fossilized the remains need to be covered by sediment as soon as possible after death or come to rest in an oxygen-free environment such as the bottom of a lake or frozen in ice. Considering the odds it is almost unbelievable how abundant our fossil record actually is.
b
Biogeography
As evolution predicted the most closely related species are found closer together geographically. Species are also not found on land masses that their ancestral species did not have access to. Species are geographically distributed based on their evolutionary history and not simply distributed wherever the climate and environment provides a suitable habitat.
c
Vestigiality
Vestigial Organs are compromised versions of organisms that appear fully functional in evolutionary ancestors but lost most, if not all, of their original function. Evolution works with tinkering existing features instead of working from scratch. Such organs clearly show a transition from one species' structure to another.
d
Geological Succession
The time at which species appear in the geological record perfectly matches up with what we would expect to see if evolution were true. Invertebrates appear before vertebrates, fish before frogs, and reptiles before mammals. We never see human fossils mixed with Trilobite fossils or squirrel fossils mixed with dinosaur fossils.
e
Embryology
In many cases, the evolutionary history of an organism unfolds during its development. You can clearly watch an embryo exhibiting characteristics of the embryos of its ancestors. One can often observe a structure appearing at one stage during embryonic development that corresponds to an ancestral structure which is no longer present in a species, only to disappear or become altered in a later stage of development. These relict developmental forms suggest strongly that our development has evolved, with new instructions layered on top of old ones.
f
Genetics
If evolution is true and all organisms share a common ancestry as predicted then we should be able to see traces of this in our DNA. This is exactly what we see. Since our DNA has been handed down from every evolutionary ancestor our genome carries a lot of evolutionary baggage. Comparing that baggage between species allows scientists to determine how closely related one organism is to another.
g
It All Matches Up!
What makes all the evidence for evolution really powerful is that it all matches up! Transitional fossils are found in rocks of just the right age and location, matching up with both the evolutionary timeline and the ancestral migration path of species. Fossils are not randomly scattered. The fossil record also shows us evidence in their structure of an evolutionary "family tree" branching out from a common ancestor. The discoveries in genetics and DNA also show us an evolutionary family tree, one that matches up exactly with the fossil record. The evidence found in embryos and vestigial organs both illustrate this same family tree. Dating/age, migration paths, fossil record, embryos, vestigial organs, genetics and DNA all independently tell the exact same story, exactly as the Theory of Evolution predicted!
Learn More • Fish to Amphibians • Reptiles to Mammals & Birds • Land to Sea Mammals
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