DNA & Genetics

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Before we begin..

 RED text means that you should write it down.

DNA Mutations

 DNA mutation is a mechanism that

drives evolution
 Mutations in the DNA are passed on to
off-spring.
 Accumulation of many mutations over
several generations may eventually
lead to a new species.
DNA
SEQUENCING
 DNA sequencing is the process of
determining the precise order of
nucleotides within a DNA
molecule.
 DNA sequencing allows us to see
how related we are to other
species
 Closely related species show DNA
sequences that are highly similar
Human DNA has 96%-98.6% similarity to Chimpanzees
DNA Evidence for
evolution
 Even very distantly related species
will have some degree of DNA
sequence overlap
 This suggests that we have a
common ancestor.
Evolutionary
Trees
Activity 1
 Draw the evolutionary tree in
your books.
 Arrange the species in the
evolutionary tree in the
correct order.
 You only need to write the
letter of the species
Evidence for evolution

 Congratulations, you have just

used techniques in
comparative anatomy to show
evolutionary relationships.
 Species C and E have a
common ancestor
Evolutionary
Tree of primates
 Using comparative anatomy,
evolutionary relationships can
be created
 In this scenario humans are
the species of interest.
 The evolutionary tree would
look different if the species of
interest was another species.
Recall this activity – DNA mutations
 The fat cat ate the rat
 The fat cat ate the rat
 The fat car ate the rat
 The fat car ate the rat
 The fat car ate the bat
 The fat car ate the bat
 The far car ate the bat
Activity 2
 Draw the evolutionary tree in
your books.
 Arrange the DNA Sequence
in the evolutionary tree in the
correct order.
 You only need to write the
letter of the sequence
Activity 2 Hint!
 Arrange the DNA Sequences
in the evolutionary tree in the
correct order
 If (A) is the species of interest.
It would be 100%
 10 of the 12 letters in (E)
matches with (A)
 Results in 83% similarity.
Activity 2
results
Activity 2
results
Common
Misconceptions
 Evolution is not a linear
process.
Independent
methods of
evidence
 I want to know the age of this
historical tree.
 Carbon Dating – 150 years
old

 Plaque – 148 years old

 Tree Rings – 148 years old.

 Three sources of independent

inquiry show that the tree is
about 148 years old.
Evidence for evolution

 All the pieces of evidence for

evolution we have
discussed(Comparative,
homology, fossil record etc)
align and support each other.
 DNA evidence is the strongest
piece of evidence for evolution
 DNA evidence is often used to
strengthen or correct
evolutionary trees.