Genetic Evidence of Evolution

Question 1

How can evidence of evolution be seen genetically?

Answer 1

• by studying and comparing chromosomal DNA and mitochondrial DNA

Question 2

What does the comparison of chromosomal DNA and mtDNA show about evolution?

Answer 2

• that all organisms have descended from a common ancestor
• and how closely organisms are related to each other

Question 3

What evidence supports the idea that all organisms have descended from a common ancestor?

Answer 3

• all organisms have DNA and RNA
• there are many genes in all living organisms that are encoded to make identical proteins

Question 4

What does the evidence supporting the idea that organisms are related to each other by varying degrees show?

Answer 4

• the more sequences shared, the closer the relationship between 2 species and the more recently they diverged from a common ancestor
• the fewer sequences shared, the more distant the relationship between 2 species, and the further in the past the species diverged from a common ancestor