Evolution is the process of change over time among species. Although evolution is only described as a theory there are five different reasons how evolution can be proven true: fossil record, embryology, comparative anatomy, genetics, and direct observation. Charles Darwin, along with many other scientists, found these things and developed the idea of evolution.
Fossil Records prove the theory of evolution. Darwin’s third distinctive patterns of biodiversity: species vary over time, was proven true by fossil records. Darwin observed that the fossils of extinct species were similar to modern species. An example of this would be today’s Armadillo and the extinct Glyptodont. These two animals share very similar DNA and as a result look very similar despite their history on this earth.
Embryology
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Homologous structures, structures with the same structure but different function, can be found among many species. These species originated from one common ancestor that evolved into different species. Species such as humans, frogs, bats, porpoises, and horses have homologous structures. Analogous structures, structures with the different functions but the same structure, can be found among many species. An analogous structure would be bird wings and butterfly wings. Both types of wings have the same function, to fly, but the species’ wings have very different structures.
Deoxyribonucleic acid proves the theory of evolution. During Darwin’s time not much was known about genetics. Darwin did know that genes were inherited from one’s parents. They did not know that all organisms are made from different combinations of Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine. These four bases make up every naturally-made organism ever known. This allows scientists to trace every single organism back to one ancestor. Because this ancestor has the same four bases as we do, evolution can be proven