
Paleontology

Physical Anthropology

Developmental Biology

Evolutionary Biology

Physical Anthropologists are scientists who study how
humans and their ancestors have changed biologically
over time.


Similarities in skull structure offers evidence of
common ancestry.
Changes in skull structure indicate change
across time.

The study of prehistoric life and evolutionary
relationships through the fossil record.

Evidence for Change through the fossil record

Evidence for change across time


Fossil record shows gradual change over time of a
large number of species
Higher Rock levels
 Younger Fossils found here.
 Fossils are similar to modern
species

Lower Rock levels
 Older fossils found
 Fossils are much different
from modern species

Scientists who study the stages of growth and
development that living organisms pass
through as they grow from fertilized egg to
mature adult.


Embryology- Branch of developmental biology
that focuses on the early development of
organisms before they are born or hatched.
Embryo- Developing organisms during the
prebirth/prehatch stage.

The presence of DNA in ALL living organisms
is evidence that all living things evolved from a
common ancestor.
Animal
Percentage of DNA that is the same as
human DNA
Fruit Fly
60%
Chicken
60%
Domestic cat
90%
Monkey (an old world primate)
93%
Gibbon (a lesser ape)
95%
Chimpanzee (a great ape)
98%


The Bonobo’s and Chimpanzee’s DNA sequencing is
98% the same as Human DNA sequencing.
This is strong evidence that humans, chimpanzees and
Bonobos share a common ancestor.
Evolutionary Biologists are scientists who study
how living organisms change physically over
time.
Charles Darwin wrote “The
Origin of Species”
Evolution through Natural
Selection


Homologous Structures- Characteristics that
are similar among different organisms because
they evolved from a common ancestor.
Vestigial Structures- Structures that seemingly
serve no purpose in some animals that are
functional in other animals.
•Evidence for common ancestor
•Structures evolved and changed across
time

Shows Evidence of change over time as
structures that no longer serve a purpose are
still present.
The Pelvic Girdle
was functional in
the ancestors of the
modern Whale.
The structure no
longer serves a
purpose but is still
present