preview

Using Fossil Records to Compare Evolution and Creationism

Good Essays

Fossil Records:
Evolution vs. Creation Defined in Biology, evolution is as a change in allele frequencies of a population. To more simply express, a change in the genetic coding (DNA) of a group of organisms. These changes can be as simple as eye or hair color, and as complex has the development of limb and finger bones as seen in evolution of fish to land-roaming tetrapods (Tiktaalik roseae). A strong factor supporting evolution is the history of life as documented by fossils, known as the fossil record. The fossil record reveals a timeline of evolution through the course of Earth’s history. The fossil record contains evidence that species have been evolving since the beginning of time and reveals great leaps from evident ancestor to descendent with no intermediaries, much a continuity of incremental form. The fossil record not only helps to better explain evolution, but also provides physical proof that evolution occurs. The fossil record showcases the outcome of natural selection and includes well documented examples of the transition of one species to another, revealing the origins of the new physical features that resulted. Because of the fossil record, fossils containing characteristics of two different organisms, known as transitional fossils, have been identified. These transitional fossils provide direct evidence about the course of evolutionary change throughout Earth’s history. A prime example of this is the Tiktaalik roseae which lived 375 million years ago

Get Access