BIOL359 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Microevolution, Common Descent, Special Creation

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL359
• Professor: Matthew Hrycyshyn

Document Summary

Before charles darwin published on the origin of species, special creation was the leadi(cid:374)g e(cid:454)pla(cid:374)atio(cid:374) for (cid:449)here earth"s orga(cid:374)is(cid:373)s ca(cid:373)e fro(cid:373) Observations on living organisms provide direct evidence of microevolution by showing that populations and species change over time. Vestigial structures: useless or rudimentary versions of a body part that have an important function in other, closely allied, species. Darwin argues that vestigial traits are difficult to explain under the theory of special creation, but readily interpretable under the theory of descent with modification. Both the anatomy and genomes of living organisms show evidence of descent with modification in the form of reduced or useless parts. Species are not fixed entities; their characteristics can and do change across generations. The results of laboratory selection experiments, the selective breeding of domestic plants and animals, direct observations of change in natural populations, and vestigial structures all demonstrate that populations change across generations.