Post-Darwinian Facts I. Physics II. Geology/Paleontology III. Genetics

obviously, the most direct way to test hypotheses of biological relatedness is to compare DNA.

III. Genetics obviously, the most direct way to test hypotheses of biological relatedness is to compare DNA. - DNA comes ONLY from ancestors, and we now how it is replicated and passed to offspring.

III. Genetics obviously, the most direct way to test hypotheses of biological relatedness is to compare DNA. - DNA comes ONLY from ancestors, and we now how it is replicated and passed to offspring. - DNA similarity implies a common source of this DNA – common ancestry. - within a species – paternity tests

III. Genetics obviously, the most direct way to test hypotheses of biological relatedness is to compare DNA. - DNA comes ONLY from ancestors, and we now how it is replicated and passed to offspring. - DNA similarity implies a common source of this DNA – common ancestry. - within a species – paternity tests - Patterns between species? 1. GROSS CHROMOSOMAL SIMILARITIES

2. SEQUENCE ANALYSES - Human and chimp DNA is 98.4% similar in nitrogenous base sequence.

2. SEQUENCE ANALYSES - Human and chimp DNA is 98.4% similar in nitrogenous base sequence. - well, we are similar (mammals, primates, etc.) So, to be similar, don’t we need similar recipes?

B. SEQUENCE ANALYSES - Human and chimp DNA is 98.4% similar in nitrogenous base sequence. - well, we are similar (mammals, primates, etc.) So, to be similar, don’t we need similar recipes? - But, only 10% of the genome is a recipe. Even the 90% that does not code for protein, that is random sequence, still shows 98% similarity. Even non-functional DNA is similar, so functional similarity (ie., ANALOGY) can’t be the answer…the similarity is HOMOLOGOUS.

C. Building Trees and Timing Ancestors Testing Evolutionary Theory (yet again) IF species are descended from common ancestors (like people in a family), and IF we know the rate of genetic change (mutation), THEN we should be able to compare genetic similarity and predict where in the fossil record common ancestors should be.

C. Building Trees and Timing Ancestors

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Now, we date the oldest mammalian fossil, which our evolution hypothesis dictates should be ancestral to the placentals (species 1-16) and the marsupial kangaroo. 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Now, we date the oldest mammalian fossil, which our evolution hypothesis dictates should be ancestral to the placentals (species 1-16) and the marsupial kangaroo. This dates to about 120 million years. 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution And, through our protein analysis, we already know how many genetic differences (nitrogenous base substitutions) would be required to account for the differences we see in these proteins

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution So now we can plot genetic change against time, hypothesizing that this link between placentals and marsupials is ancestral to the other placental mammals our analysis. 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Now we can test a prediction. IF genetic similarity arises from descent from common ancestors, THEN we can use genetic similarity to predict when common ancestors should have lived... 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution This line represents that prediction. Organisms with more similar protein sequences (requiring fewer changes in DNA to explain these protein differences) should have more recent ancestors... 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution And the prediction here becomes even MORE precise. For example, we can predict that two species, requiring 50 substitutions to explain the differences in their proteins... 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution are predicted to have a common ancestor that lived million years ago... 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Well... let's test this prediction. 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Rabbits and our rodent differ in protein sequence to a degree requiring a minimum of 50 nucleotide substitutions...

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Where is the putative common ancestor in the fossil record? 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution Just where genetic analysis of two different EXISTING species predicts. 16

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution OK, but what about all of our 16 "nodes"? Evolution predicts that they should also exist on or near this line

C. Corroborating Independent Tests of Evolution And they are. Certainly to a degree that supports our hypothesis based on evolution. Tested and supported.

D. Conclusions - We can compare the DNA in existing species and predict where, in the sedimentary layers of the Earth’s crust, a third DIFFERENT species should be. - No explanation other than evolution predicts and explains this ability. Evolution by Common Descent is a tested, predictive theory; like atomic theory or the heliocentric theory.