AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Darwin could compare only the anatomy and embryos of living things. Today, scientists can compare their DNA. Similar DNA sequences are the strongest evidence for evolution from a common ancestor.

Detailed explanation-2: -Organisms that seem fairly similar on the basis of comparative anatomy, show more genes in common than organisms that aren’t much alike. For example, 96% of the genes in humans and chimpanzees are identical. That two species and their common ancestor have similar DNA is strong evidence supporting evolution.

Detailed explanation-3: -The basic idea behind this approach is that two species have the “same” gene because they inherited it from a common ancestor. For instance, humans, cows, chickens, and chimpanzees all have a gene that encodes the hormone insulin, because this gene was already present in their last common ancestor.

Detailed explanation-4: -Perhaps the most persuasive fossil evidence for evolution is the consistency of the sequence of fossils from early to recent. Nowhere on Earth do we find, for example, mammals in Devonian (the age of fishes) strata, or human fossils coexisting with dinosaur remains.

Detailed explanation-5: -DNA and the genetic code reflect the shared ancestry of life. DNA comparisons can show how related species are. Biogeography. The global distribution of organisms and the unique features of island species reflect evolution and geological change.