Evidence of Evolution Questions
Bring on the tough stuff
1. Discuss how recent advances in genetics, development, and geology have enriched our understanding of evolution. How do new sources of evidence for evolution help to corroborate observations that were made by early evolutionary thinkers?
2. What does common ancestry mean? Describe three different kinds of evidence that support the idea of common ancestry.
3. Fossils provide evidence that evolution has occurred in the past. You're a paleontologist that studies human evolution and you have just discovered the fossilized remains of a primate that seemed to have walked upright (something like Homo erectus). How does this find provide evidence for evolution?
4.You're on a trip to the Grand Canyon with someone who follows uniformitarianism and another person who believes in catastrophism. What kind of remarks could you expect from them about this famous landmark?
5. Your friend casually drops into conversation that she doesn't believe in evolution because there's just no evidence for it. How do you respond? Discuss at least three sources of evidence that might help to convince her.
6. Compare and contrast homologous versus analogous structures. Think specifically about the functions they serve and what they reveal about common ancestry.