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Fossils and the Evidence of Evolution: Understanding the Origin of Life

This article explores how fossils provide vital evidence for evolution, illustrating the gradual changes in organisms over time. From the oldest rocks containing simple life forms to more complex organisms discovered in newer strata, fossils support the evolutionary theory. The evolution of the horse is highlighted, tracking its development over 60 million years from a small dog-sized creature to a tall equine adapted to open plains. The discovery of transitional fossils like Tiktaalik roseae further exemplifies the evolutionary process while acknowledging some gaps in the fossil record.

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Fossils and the Evidence of Evolution: Understanding the Origin of Life

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Christianity Science & Belief Origin of Life

  2. Fossils as evidence for evolution • Fossils show how much, or how little, organisms have changed over time. • Fossils of the simplest organisms are found in the oldest rocks, and fossils of more complex organisms in the newest rocks. This supports the theory of evolution, which states that simple life forms gradually evolved into more complex ones.

  3. Evolution of the Horse • One of the few animals for which we have a fairly complete evolutionary record is the horse. All the main stages of the evolution of the horse have been preserved in fossil form. • Over 60 million years, the horse evolved from a dog-sized creature that lived in rainforests into an animal adapted to living on the plains and standing up to 2 metres high. • In the process its multi-toed feet, that were adapted for walking across the forest floor, evolved into single-toed hooves more suited for running over open country.

  4. Evolution of the Horse

  5. Transitional Fossils • The fossil of a 375-million-year-old fish Tiktaalikroseae was discovered by a team of three palaeontologists. The crocodile-like fish, had front fins resembling limbs, with elbows and primitive wrists.

  6. Tiktaalikroseae Fossil

  7. Tiktaalikroseae Artists Impression

  8. If evolution is true we should expect to see the simpler structures further down in the fossil record:

  9. Strengths & Weaknesses • One of the problems with the fossil record is that it contains gaps.

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