Question

Which of the following provides the most evident proof of evolution?
(a) Fossils
(b) Morphology
(c) Embryo
(d) Vestigial organs

Answer 1

Hint: They are the remains of the animals that once lived and are the most evident proof of evolution which states the changes that occur in the structure of an individual since their time of origin.

Complete answer:
The best evident proof for evolution is Fossils. They are the dead remains, preserved imprints, or traces and impressions of those organisms that once lived in the geological age. These remains and extracts of the organisms are called the fossil records.

- Evolution is the process of change in the hereditary characters of an individual as the generations go on.
- The evolution is studied by the evidence that is provided by the fossil remains of the individual.
- The fossils that are studied are present in the form of shells, exoskeletons, hair, remains of DNA, imprints, and objects preserved in amber, etc.
- The study of fossils is known as Paleontology.
- The study of fossils includes the study of the age of the fossil, their evolutionary significance, and their phylogenetic relationship.
- If the species found are around the age of 10,000 years old then they are said to be fossils.
- The oldest fossils are said to be around 3.48 - 4.2 billion years old.
- It is thought that the fossils that are present in the lower strata are the oldest fossils while the ones that are present in the upper strata are the younger fossils.

So, the correct answer is ‘Fossils’.

Note: The theory of evolution was given in detail by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. They explained the role of natural selection in the process of evolution. Darwin wrote in his book that the oldest fossil found was around 540 million years old during the Cambrian period. Later the fossil trading started which involves the buying and selling of the fossils.