In 1859, Charles Darwin imparted a fundamental adjustment in humanity’s understanding of the natural world through his postulations in “On the Origin of Species” (Wong 2020). In the publication, Darwin formulated the evolutionary theory whereby he stated that living organisms are not perpetual but, rather, they evolve through natural selection (Wong 2020). Despite Darwin’s greatest discovery, few individuals embraced his theories due to limited evidence. Gawne (2015) proclaims that the biggest deterrent to agreement of the hypothesis was the absence of paleontological records to offer credence to the existence of the various evolutionary forms. Nevertheless, over time, scientists discovered fossil hominins spanning millions of years, proving the evolution of man from quadrupedal apes (Wong 2020). Accordingly, fossil records play an integral role in the comprehension of the evolution of living species as they provide insight into evolutionary occurrences in the past (Reisz and Sues 2015). These records are distinct in chronicling changes over prolonged durations (Edgecombe 2010). Therefore, fossils have enriched people’s comprehension of biological evolution by providing indisputable evidence, evolutionary patterns and imparting a profound understanding of the evolution of specific morphology, physiology, and new traits in living organisms.
Evolution of morphology and physiology of living species.
One of the ways by which fossils have enhanced humanity’s comprehension of biological evolution is through the provision of extensive evidence and patterns regarding the morphological and physiological transformations among living organisms over time. One can observe evidence of the evolution of the morphology of living species in the evolution of horses in North America. According to Jones (2022), there is a distinctive difference in the morphology of these creatures in earlier and recent forms, and sequential records of the species over time provide a pattern of how the horses advanced. Fossil records on the horses date back 55 million years, whereby the ancestral forms are dog-like animals that gave way to initial horses under the genus Eohippus (Jones 2022). Later on, 40 million years ago, the species Mesohippus evolved with modification in teeth, feet, and feeding habits, as shown in Fig.1 (Jones 2022). The creature’s leg increased in length, improved grazing dentition, and the muzzle became longer. Ensuing species demonstrated an increase in size, notably the Hipparian (Jones 2022). Subsequent paleontological documents show various adaptive radiation of the creature that scientists narrowed to a single genus, Equus (Jones 2022).
Figure 1: The evolution of horses (Jones 2020)
As mentioned above, the successive fossils from the dog-like animals to the Equus provide a clear illustration of the morphological transformation of the horse. The data also provides definitive evidence regarding the pattern and the rate of the transformations over the years. Consequently, an individual’s perception of the evolution of living organisms becomes more comprehensive as one is able to picture those changes in one’s mind. Additionally, Jones (2022) states that these fossil records on North American horses also provide information regarding the factors that brought forth the transformations over time. The size of these horses increased, and the shapes of their feet changed as an adaptation to flee from predators (Jones 2022).
In addition to the North American horses, paleontological discovery on the evolution of Afrotheria also demonstrates the importance of fossils in providing profound elucidation on biological evolution. The Afrotheria comprises animals such as elephants and tenrecs, and fossil records over time show body mass changes among these creatures of variable sizes (Puttick and Thomas 2015). The morphological diversity of the different animals under this family, in combination with fossil records, provides an even greater understanding of evolution. According to Puttick and Thomas (2015), variation in their size ranges from tonnes in elephants to grams in tenrecs. Due to the wide variation of body mass, scientists gain an extensive scope for interpreting evolution changes in body size (Puttick and Thomas 2015). Furthermore, the variation in size aids in the elucidation of the factors contributing to the evolutionary changes. Accordingly, tenrecs’ body mass reduced over time as they shrunk in mass to adapt to their feeding habits as burrowers (Puttick and Thomas 2015).
As discussed, it is evident that one’s perception of the transformation of Afrotheria expands when an individual considers the relevant paleontological records. These records provide authentic and indisputable affirmation supporting the notion of evolution. Moreover, Puttick and Thomas (2015) proclaim that the incorporation of paleontological data influences phylogenetic topology and improves the precision of modifying macro-evolutionary sequences. The records show that the rates and mass of the large-bodied Afrotheria increase over time, and fossils enable an individual to appreciate such changes through factual data (Puttick and Thomas 2015). Furthermore, fossil records add the time element to the study of the evolution of living species through sequential evidence of transformations, which offers profound elucidation on the matter (Koch et al. 2021).
Evolution of new traits in living organisms.
Lastly, fossils are significant in the study of evolution among living species by portraying evolutionary patterns leading to the evolution of new traits. Paleontological records provide vivid illustrations of the changes that occur during evolution. Therefore, in the absence of the relevant fossils, an individual is unable to comprehend deeply how the new traits develop in living organisms over time. Paleontological data chronicling the changes enables a person to perceive how the transformation took place and form pertinent and profound interpretations. An example of evolution that supports the theory is the origin of paired appendages in vertebrates. Shubin et al. (1997) indicate that the Ordovician and Silurian fossils of fish aid in understanding the development of paired limbs in a tetrapod. Paleontological records prove that the initial jawless fish had continuous fins, and others lacked paired fins (Shubin et al. 1997).
Evolution led to new species called Gnathostomes, jawed fish that possessed two sets of paired appendages (Shubin et al. 1997). In addition to a clear portrayal of the evolutionary patterns leading to the establishment of new traits, the fossils of those species enabled scientists to understand the rationale behind these transformations. Accordingly, the development of two sets of limbs in jawed fish was because of the alteration of the present limbs and not the origination of new ones, and without fossils, it is not easy to make such a distinction (Shubin et al. 1997). Furthermore, fossil records show that the TbX5 gene expressed at the pelvic part was also responsible for the development of paired limbs (Adachi et al. 2016). Consequently, fossil records depicting the evolution highly contributed to the conclusion that the gene expression was at the base of the tetrapod, aiding in further elucidation of biological evolution by highlighting the role of genetics role in evolution.
Conclusion
Fossils are of great importance in evolution studies since they offer a profound understanding of the evolution of specific morphology, physiology, and new traits in living organisms through irrefutable evidence, evolutionary patterns, and comprehensive elucidation of the transformations. Sequential evidence of the evolution of the horse in North American history and the Afrotheria species over time provides a clear depiction of the morphological changes the creature undergoes. As such, an individual gains a profound understanding of how the evolution took place and can interpret the factors that led to such changes in their structures. Additionally, the inclusion of fossils in the study of the evolution of paired limbs in tetrapods clearly illustrates the patterns that contributed to the evolutionary changes. Therefore, one is able to make a correct interpretation of such evolution. Nevertheless, the continual discovery of new fossils creates more queries and the need to incorporate current innovations into the general understanding of biological evolution. The integration of such data has proven to provide an even greater understanding of the evolution of living species, demonstrating the significance of fossils in strengthening the perception of that concept.
References
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