B.Sc. I Direct Evidences of Evolution Dr. K.A.

Gajare

DIRECT EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION

The preserved remains or prints of organisms which were buried in remote past are called fossils.
They provide direct evidence for the process of evolution as they give proof of ancient life. Study of
fossils is called palaeontology.

Types of fossils:
1. Unaltered fossils: If the whole body or body part of the organism is found to be preserved as
if that was in live form, such fossils are called as unaltered fossils.
a. Entire organism preservation: Complete body of organism get preserved in this
type. Examples are
i. Wooly Mammoths: In the ice of Siberia elephant like wooly mammoths
were found buried. These were about 25000 years old, perfectly preserved
wit intact eyes, skin, blood, flesh and partially digested food in stomach.
ii. Insects tapped in amber: Fossilised resins of conifers are called amber. If
insect get trapped in resin and if such resin gets fossilised as amber, then
along with that the insect get fossilised intact as unaltered fossil.
b. Hard parts of invertebrates preserved: In this case hard part of invertebrates like
shell, chitinous exoskeleton, spicules get preserved as fossils. Woody part ot plants
can be also fossilized in the same way.
2. Altered fossils: If certain changes or alterations have taken place in the morphology or
anatomy of the original organism. Those are of following types,
a. Petrified fossils: Petrifaction means conversion in to rocks. These fossils are hard,
rock like. Those are formed by replacement of organic matter of dead organisms by
mineral matter. The replacement takes place molecule by molecules. This process is
very fine and even cellular structures also remained preserved. Replica of the
organism is formed such fossils are called pseudomorphs. About 20 minerals are
known to cause purification. Common are silica, calcite, pyrites etc.
E.g. woody tissue of some plants, calcareous skeleton of corals and certain sponges,
limy molluscan shells etc.
b. Carbonisation: Occasionally the soft part of a body leaves a thin film of carbon
while decaying. Thus exact body outline of organisms can be obtained. During this
process it loses nitrogen oxygen and hydrogen results in abundance of carbon. E.g.
Extinct swimming reptile Icthyosaurus and other organisms like jelly fish, worms,
leaves etc.
3. Traces of organisms preserved: Some times only certains impressions or marks on hard
media get preserved as a fossil.
a. Moulds and Casts:
Sometimes a dead organism gets buried in mud which gradually gets converted into
hard rock. Meanwhile the organic part of the dead organism disintegrated and a
cavity remains. This cavity gives exact idea about the external appearance of the
organism. This is called a mould.
Cast is similar to moulds but the cavity of mould gets filled with some mineral. This
material is hardened and a cast is formed.
E.g. soft bodied animals, shells, skulls etc.

1
B.Sc. I Direct Evidences of Evolution Dr. K.A.Gajare

b. Tracks and trails: Tracks are the footprints that are formed over the dryland or sea
bottom or in muddy environments. Wet sand or mud receive impressions of feet of
passing animals and get covered by the sediments before they are disturbed or eroded.
Such tracks are very common for dinosaur from Triassic rocks.
Trails are the irregular markings of moving animals on sedimentary rocks.
c. Burrows and borings: Some animals live in burrows, tubes and holes in the ground
wood or rocks. The presence of such burrows in sedimentary rocks of past are called
fossil burrows. Borings are holes made by animals. Such fossil holes occur on fossil
shells, wood and organic objects.
d. Gastrolites and coprolites: Gastrolites are the hard stony pieces found from
stomachs of ancient reptiles and fishes. Coprolites are fossilised faeces of ancient
animals.

Incompleteness of fossil record:

Conditions required for fossilization:

1. If the organism has some hard body part like bone, teeth or shell etc then there are more
chances of fossil formation. As the harder parts decompose slowly.
2. There are more chances of formation of fossils of aquatic animals than terrestrial animals.
3. The regions which undergoing erosion are not suitable for fossil formation but the regions
where deposition is going on are suitable for fossilization.
4. High concentration of minerals is required for the process of mineralisation or
petrifaction.
5. For the beginning of the fossilisation the organisms should be prevented from
decomposition. Many organisms decompose before they undergo fossilization.
6. For the beginning of fossilisation the dead organism should get covered by sediments
before they undergo decomposition and can be remain protected from erosion and
environmental damage.
7. The organisms with soft body part rarely fossilized if they somehow get oxygen deficient
environment so that they can remain protected from scavengers. It may possible if it get
buried in mud with little seepage of oxygen rich water or there are some other organic
things in that mud which consume the available oxygen more rapidly.
8. And after all the fossil if formed, it should be properly excavated or should be within the
reach of human E.g. a fossil buried thousands of feet below the ice of Antarctica cannot
be found by human.

The fossil record is very uneven and is mostly comprised of fossils of organisms with hard
body parts, leaving most groups of soft-bodied organisms with little to no fossil record. Groups
considered to have a good fossil record are the vertebrates, the echinoderms, the brachiopods, and
some groups of arthropods. Their hard bones and shells fossilize easily, unlike the bodies of
organisms like cephalopods or jellyfish.

2
B.Sc. I Direct Evidences of Evolution Dr. K.A.Gajare

Romer’s Gap: In the beginning of carboniferous period i.e. about 360 to 345 million years
ago, there is no relevant fossil record found. There is gap of about 15 million years in the tetrapode
fossil record. This gap is recognised by paleontologist Alfred Romer, So it is called Romer,s Gap.
According to one group of scientists this gap is due to the geochemical conditions were not favourable
for fossil formation during this period. According to some other group of scientists it is because the
fossils are not yet discovered.

Dating of fossils:
The dating of fossils is mainly carried out by radiometry method. This is the most sensitive and
universally accepted method. The age of the fossil is calculated using radioactive isotopes and their
half life. Many rocks are having one or other radioactive element which undergo decay and converted
into a stable element. Each radioactive element is having its own specific half life period i.e. the time
in which half amount of the element decayed. Many radiometric methods using different
radioisotopes are available for calculating the age of fossil.

1. Uranium lead method: This method is used by Boltwood (1907). In this method
radioactivity of 238Uranium is counted for dating. Uranium decay to 206Lead. The half life
period of uranium is 4.51 billion years. The age of rock is calculated by considering uranium
to lead ratio and half life of uranium.
Limitations:
a. Uranium is not a common element. It is not found in all rocks.
b. Since the half life of uranium is very large, this method can be used for old rocks
only.
c. The lead formed may get erode by some environmental factors.
2. Patsssium Argon Method: Naturally along with 39K there is radioactive 40K who get
converted into calcium and Argon. Half life of radioactive potassium is 1350 years. The age
of fossil is calculated by amount of argon emitted in a particular unit time.
3. Rubidium Strontium Method: Rubidum decays into Strontium with half life period of 6
billion years. Age of old fossils can be calculated by this method.
4. Carbon Method: This method is introduced by Libby (1956). Tissue of the organism has
carbon. With 12C tissue also have some amount of 14C. After death of the organism 14C
disintegrate to 12C. The half life of 14C is 5568 years. By calculating the amount of 14C
remained in the fossil the age of the fossil is decided.
Merits: The age of the recent fossils can be calculated accurately with sensitivity of 30 years
plus minus.
Limitations:
a. This method is applicable only when the fossil has some amount of organic material.
b. The fossils which older than 70000 years cannot be determined by this method.