Lines of evidence: The science of evolution

• There is a fit between organisms and their environments, though not always a perfect fit.
• All organisms, including humans, retain evidence of their evolutionary history.
• The fossil record provides evidence for evolution.
• The fossil record documents the biodiversity of the past.
• The fossil record contains transitional forms.
• There are similarities and differences among fossils and living organisms.
• Similarities among existing organisms provide evidence for evolution.
• Anatomical similarities of living things reflect common ancestry.
• There are similarities in the cell function of all organisms.
• Artificial selection provides a model for natural selection.
• People selectively breed domesticated plants and animals to produce offspring with preferred characteristics.
• Our understanding of life through time is based upon multiple lines of evidence.
• Scientists use fossils (including sequences of fossils showing gradual change over time) to learn about past life.
• Scientists use physical, chemical, and geological evidence to establish the age of fossils.
• Scientists use the geographic distribution of fossils and living things to learn about the history of life.
• Scientists use experimental evidence to study evolutionary processes.
• Scientists use artificial selection as a model to learn about natural selection.

• Evidence for Evolution