Best 10 Recent Signs Evolution is Real

When a living organism reproduces, genes are passed from one generation to the next, thus producing inherited traits in a species. Evolution is a gradual process of changing in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Most changes are extremely gradual, but can accumulate over time and can cause substantial biological changes to organisms.

Many feel evolution runs on the basis of natural selection, which is a process that causes helpful genetic traits to become more common in a breeding population. The process of evolution helps insure the survival of all species of life. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection and presented compelling evidence that all organisms have evolved over time from common ancestors.

Darwin’s research has significantly impacted the scientific community and changed the way people view many theories of life. Here is a list of the Top 10 recent signs and evidence that evolution is a factual scientific explanation. You may also be interested in reading our top 10 list of arguments that can’t be won where evolution or creation was at the top of the list.

10. Stickleback Fish

The stickleback fish is part of the Gasterosteidae family and can be found in freshwater environments in Europe, Asia, and North America. Sticklebacks have no scales, but are protected by bony armor plates. These creatures have intrigued marine biologists for years, as many populations of the fish have evolved with genetic changes and displayed major adaptations in their bony armor styles. This evolutionary shift occurs when there is an increasing in the frequency of a rare genetic variant in a single gene of the creature.

These fish helped scientists discover that changes in a single gene can produce a major difference in the selector armor and body style of wild fish. It identified a specific genetic mechanism that controls a dramatic change in skeletal patterns. This finding has many implications towards the process of genetic evolution of organic species. It will help us eventually discover exactly how new animal types evolve in nature. The research is suggesting that evolution can occur quickly and only a few minor genetic changes can allow a migrating species to adapt and populate different environments.

9. Darwin’s Tubercle

Darwin’s Tubercle is a congenital ear condition which presents a thickening of the upper and middle thirds of the human ear. The feature can be seen in numerous primates and the phenomenon was used by Charles Darwin to support research indicating a common ancestry between primates. Today, the feature is present in approximately 10.4% of the population and very few newborns. The feature is thought to help animals control and regulate sound. As intelligence of the human species evolved at a rapid pace various visual and auditory organs were no longer needed and gradually removed themselves from our anatomy.

Humans are also born with a third-eyelid that is useless and very small. It is represented in a small membrane that is visible in the human eye and used to function as a protective shield.

Many people believe that the coccyx or tailbone is proof of what was a human tail. Darwin’s discoveries surrounding the tubercle were extremely important in developing the facts surrounding the theory of evolution.

8. Toxic Australian Toads

The toad problem in Australia is really bad. In 1935, Cane toads were brought to Australia from Hawaii to control the spread of beetles that were killing the sugar cane crop. It might have been a short term solution, but the lasting problem is horrendous. The toads have quickly expanded their range to cover more than a third of Australia’s total land area. They are spreading at a rate of 30 miles per year. A deadly chemical defense system has been devised to kill the pests, which is not good for crops and ground water.

Experimentation on the toads discovered that the creatures that were leading the land expansion had legs that were 6% larger then others. A study was conducted that showed that newer populations of toads tended to have longer legs than older established species. This gives the toad an ability to jump higher, move faster, and cover more ground on a daily basis. The grave mistake to introduce toads to this environment is a problem that is getting worse every day. The toad species is evolving to its surroundings and gaining more defenses, which is not good for Australia’s economy.

7. Humans Influence Natural Selection

Many studies have been conducted that show that the mass technological growth of the human race is greatly affecting other organisms. Many species have to adjust to human expansion and mass transportation systems. One clear example is the bee crisis that many areas of the world are facing. Humans have interfered with the genetics of many bee populations and helped in transporting different species all over the world. This has helped cause the spread of the tiny parasite Varroa Destructor.

Varroa Destructor feeds off the bodily fluids of bees creating a deadly virus that is demolishing populations. There has been a mass expansion of bee populations since airplanes, trains, and cars became commercially produced. In the past, one of human’s biggest faults was using various poisons and strategems to try and fix this evolutionary problem, but this will only cause more abnormalities in the food chain.

Many correlational studies have shown that trophy game, such as big fish and caribou are reproducing at a younger age and becoming smaller in size. Many hypothesize that this is to counter-act the hunting and fishing of many human populations, who prefer to hunt large game. Many species are also being affected by the national problem of global warming.

6. Hypolimnas Bolina

The Great Eggfly, also called the Blue Moon Butterfly, is a species of nymphalid butterfly that is found in many areas of the world including Madacascar, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. It is a black bodied butterfly with an average wing span of 7–8½ cm. The butterfly can be found in wooded country, forests, thick and moist scrub, and the greener parts of the uninhabited terrain.

In the last ten years scientists have come to realize that a parasite was killing all of the male members of hypolimnas bolina on the Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii. The pest would infect the females and then kill the males before they were hatched. The problem was so severe that in 2001 males inhabited only 1% of the population and the species was on the verge of extinction in this area of the world.

In the span of one year and 10 generations in the hypolimnas bolina family, the male butterfly’s evolved and obtained a suppressor gene that prevented the killer bacteria from spreading. In modern days the male population has increased to 40% in the colonies on these islands. Evolution is often much more evident in insects, as a family generation and lifespan is much shorter then with primates.

5. Brown Anole Lizard

Anolis sagrei is a lizard species native to Cuba and the Bahamas. They were also introduced in many areas of the United States, including Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii. In a famous experimental study, a research group led by Jonathan Losos of Harvard University discovered that when a brown anole population was introduced to a new predator, natural selection occurred in a six month period of time.

The goal of the study was to prove the hypothesis that evolution was not a prolonged occurrence. The scientists studied twelve different islands and introduced the predatory lizard to six, using the other six islands as a comparative sample. After six months, surveys found that anole populations dropped by 50% on the islands with the new predatory lizards.

The anole survivors had longer legs then the species previously inhabiting the islands. In the next six months of study another genetic change was recorded and the legs of the anole lizard species began to become short and stubby, as they were spending more of their time in trees. Female species were also recorded as becoming larger in size, ultimately making them harder for smaller animals to digest.

4. Darwin’s Finches

The second voyage of the HMS Beagle occurred December 1831 to October 1836 and the mission of the voyage was to conduct hydrographic surveys around the coasts of the southern part of South America. A young Charles Darwin was the expert geologist on this voyage. Darwin spent most of his time exploring the land and exhausted only 18 months at sea. He spent time researching on the Galápagos Islands, studying the vast number of endemic species. Darwin had incredible observational skills and noticed that there were numerous different finch species on the island. One species of the birds would grow slightly larger wings and have curved beaks in relation to the geographic location on the island.

Darwin recognized and recorded 14 separate combinatory species of Passerine birds in the area. The various niches of finches on the Galápagos Island are constantly evolving every year. The evolution of these birds can be readily studied and recorded. The medium ground finch that lives in this area recently downsized its beak, so that it could get small seeds more efficiently, after a larger finch species arrived on the island and began competing for food. Many scientists travel to this area because the experimental conditions are untouched and natural changes occur at an alarmingly fast rate.

3. Bacterial Evolution

Natural selection is most evident in life forms that have extremely rapid life cycles, such as bacteria. Bacteria can reproduce and span an entire generation in only a few short weeks. Many types of bacteria are helpful to human and animal health, but others cause infectious diseases. The quick evolution of disease-causing bacteria has been well documented and involves some of the most important medical research in the world.

A person who becomes ill can be given antibiotic drugs, which destroys the deadly bacteria in the human body, but not all of the bacteria get removed. The remaining bacteria that have already been contaminated by the antibiotic will become resistant to the drug in a short amount of time. If these certain bacteria reproduce then the disease will evolve to resist the medicines that we have developed. This is why antibiotics are becoming stronger and stronger, which is why medical researchers are always trying to develop more effective future medicines. As long as harmful bacteria and disease exist, evolution will be a formidable opponent against cures and medicine.

2. Land Living Ancestors of Whales

The giants of the sea have an extremely interesting story of origin. Whales are marine mammals of order Cetacea and have been left seriously endangered in many areas of the world. All cetaceans, including whales, dolphins and porpoises are the evolutionary decedents of land-living animals of the Artiodactyl order or even-toed ungulates. Today, certain cetaceans and artiodactyl are organized under the super-order Cetartiodactyla.

The term Cetartiodactyla is used to describe the classification that whales have evolved from within the artiodactyls. The hippopotamus is widely considered to be the closest land relative of the whale. Scientists and historians have estimated that whales entered the world’s oceans roughly 50 million years ago. Humans are just beginning to understand the complex behavior and characteristics of whales.

It is interesting that a species so large could evolve from land to sea. Cetaceans are the smartest creatures in the sea and this intelligence can be traced back to their modern land living ancestors. I wonder what geological phenomenon could have caused this mass population of animals to enter earth’s seas.

1. Evolution of Modern Man

As an organism evolves certain aspects of the anatomy become not as necessary and on occasion useless. This can be influenced by a new habitat, natural disaster, or even adaptation to disease prevention. When this occurs an organ that at one point in ancient history was essential for survival has become less important to the species. This is a sign of evolution and can clearly be seen in the human body.

Humans get goose bumps when they are cold, frightened, angry, or in awe of something. Before clothing goose bumps were an important way for humans to appear larger and more dangerous to prey. Today goose bumps have shrunk to an almost unnoticeable size. Humans also have an extra ear muscle, wisdom teeth, the appendix, and the Jacobson’s organ. The Jacobson’s organ is located in the nose of many animals. It is a smell organ which detects pheromones and can trigger sexual desire, alarm, and food sense. Humans are born with the organ, but early in development it shrinks and becomes useless. The plantaris muscle is used by many animals for gripping and manipulating objects with their feet. Humans are born with this muscle, but it is so underdeveloped that it is often taken out by doctors to reconstruct other areas of the body. Approximately 9% of the human population is born without the plantaris muscle.

Best 10 Surprising Animal Facts

When most people think about animals, they imagine furry little cow-eyed creatures innocently plucking leaves from trees or bugs from the ground for nourishment. However, many people are shocked to learn that, just as in human life, there’s an incredible, dark and even lascivious underbelly to the animal world. If you thought you new a lot about animal behavior, the following unbelievable but true animal facts may cause your jaw to drop.

10. Cows Are More Deadly Than Sharks

For most people, few things evoke fear like the image of a great white shark. A combination of popular culture movies and pervasive media stories concerning shark attacks has worked in concert to create a universal fear of these toothy eating machines. However, the dangers posed by sharks to humans are overstated. In fact, sharks kill only ten people each year. By contrast, you’re ten times more likely to die under the clumsy feet of ordinary cows who fatally trample around 100 people every 12 months.

9. Headless Roaches Can Live Up To Nine Days

Most people are familiar with the notion that roaches are hearty, durable pests. Anyone who has ever been plagued by a roach problem knows just how resilient these grotesque little creatures can be. If you’ve ever seen roaches scatter at the flick of a late night light switch, you also know that these nasty little vermin have an amazing propensity toward copulation. Yet, many are surprised at just how adept roaches are at survival and reproduction. Roaches are able to live up to nine days without a head because their brains are located deep within their body cavities. A headless roach continues to mate with other fertile roaches until eventually succumbing to starvation.

8. Male Lions Mate 672 Times Per Week

When a lion gets ‘in the mood’, there’s nearly nothing that can stand in the way. During mating season, a male lion mounts a female once every fifteen minutes for a full week straight. This amounts to around 672 raucous episodes. Although, this feat is remarkably impressive, it appears to take a substantial toll as lions take as much as a two-year hiatus between mating seasons.

7. Frogs Are Unable to Vomit

Frogs lack the vomit reflex found in nearly every animal, but fortunately when a frog feels the need to empty its stomach it does have a solution. Instead of vomiting out the contents of its stomach, the frog throws its entire stomach up. Then, it immediately gobbles it back into its mouth and swallows it back down.

6. Deer Are The Most Dangerous Animals to Humans

Many are surprised to learn that deer kill more people each year than spiders, snakes, bears and wolves combined. Because of their propensity to find their way in front of traffic, deer kill more people annually than any other creature.

5. A Wolf’s Howl Does Not Echo

Wolves hunt in coordinated packs, so long-distance communication is critical to a successful kill. However, wolves hunt in mountainous areas, so their howling is left vulnerable to echoes that can distort their ability to communicate. To combat this, wolves howl at a frequency that will not echo. This allows them to confirm the exact location of their hunting partners, which helps them to ambush unsuspecting prey.

4. Half of All Orangutans Have Broken Bones

Orangutans seem to drift through branches from tree to tree with relative ease. However, almost all orangutans suffer serious falls at least a few times in their lives. Proving this is the fact that 50 percent of adult orangutans have fractured bones somewhere in their body.

3. Some Clams Are Transgendered

Every single clam is born into the world a male. To combat this sexually unproductive sausage-fest, clams have developed the ability to change their gender from male to female. However, before the clam makes this serious adjustment, it has to be sure, as once the change is made, it’s irreversible.

2. Woodpeckers Are Soft-Headed

Woodpeckers bash their heads against wood about 20 pecks every second, so you’d think they’d need heads made of steel to survive. Instead, the reality is that woodpecker heads are relatively soft. Each bird is born with a soft, sponge-like mass behind its beak that absorbs the shock created by pecking.

1. An Elephant’s Daily

It’s not surprising to learn that elephants poop a lot; however, the actual amount of dung excreted by an adult elephant on a daily basis is shocking. The average elephant squeezes out about 220 pounds of excrement every single day. That’s about the same poundage as a newborn elephant, which generally weighs in at between 170 – 250 pounds.

Best 10 Bizarre Prehistoric Animals

We’ve all heard and read about the dinosaurs. We know the extinction theories, and you may even have your own. However, there were thousands of other creatures living amongst the dinosaurs that you may not know about. Some look like animals you would find in the zoo or aquarium today, while others are extremely bizarre and down right scary looking. In any case, they’re all millions of years old and, thankfully, extinct.

Below is a list of the weirdest ten prehistoric animals: some are not-so-popularly known dinosaurs, some are small, and some are bigger than the average man. Through the helpful skills and knowledge of archaeologists, more and more prehistoric animals are found every year.

10. Dunkleosteus

The Dunkleosteus is a prehistoric fish that could give you nightmares. It’s said to be one of the biggest arthrodire placoderms, an armored and jawed fish, to have ever grazed Earth’s waters. It was about 33 feet long and weighed almost 4 tons. The creature is considered to be hypercarnivorous as well as an apex predator. This means that the Dunkleosteus wasn’t a prey to any other type of animal, and mainly consumed meat as its diet. Though a meat eater, the creature didn’t have teeth, instead its mouth held two pair of gnathal plates, which formed a beak like structure. Using these plates, it is said that the Dunkleosteus had a bite similar to one of a crocodile, or even a T-Rex, able to place 8,000 pounds per square inch of pressure on a victim. Thankfully this creature died during the Late Devonian period, or else swimming in the ocean would be a bit scary.

Ancient Ancestors
While it is said that after the Late Devonian period, no other creature existed that was a direct relation to the Dunkleosteus, another prehistoric fish did eventually come about, known as the Titanichthys. However, this fish is still seen as ancient to us. Because the Dunkleosteus is no direct ancestor of animals today, many researchers broadly consider them to be 400 billion year old sharks, so modern day sharks may be related to this creature.

9. Archaeopteryx

The Archaeopteryx, sometimes known as the first bird, is what scientists believe is the most primitive bird to have ever existed. The creature lived during the late Jurassic Period in a southern region of present-day Germany, at a time when Europe was nothing but an archipelago of islands. It is said that the prehistoric animal was only the size of the common magpie we all know today, which is about 1.6 feet in length. However, while the Archaeopteryx was petite, full of feathers, and seemed harmless; the creature actually had extremely broad wings and razor sharp teeth. It also had claws located on the fingers and the second toes. The toe claws were hyper-extensible into something referred to as the ‘killing claw’.

Ancient Ancestors
Scientific research has found that the Archaeopteryx is more related to dinosaurs than to birds. With this said, scientists believe that this creature may be the first of its kind, starting a new generation of animals that were dinosaurs, but were the first to change from land-roaming animals to those that were able to fly and eventually become birds. When looking at links, it’s safe to say that the Archaeopteryx is probably related to all birds today, as it is the first-known example of flight feathers.

8. Elasmosaur

The Elasmosaur lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It was probably around 46 feet in length and weighed over 2.2 tons. Half of its body’s length was its neck, which had over 70 vertebrae, which is more than any known animal today. However, its long neck was highly important as it was the only part of its body that was able to be lifted out of the water. With such a large body, you’d think that the creature had large flippers, but according to fossils found in Kansas by Dr. Theophilus Turner, it had four that weren’t of great size. Its body was accompanied by a small head that held extremely sharp teeth.

Ancient Ancestors
The Elasmosaur doesn’t have any close relations to animals that you’d find in today’s world, but it can be generalized that it is somewhat related to reptiles. Though it doesn’t have any close ties, if you’re a believer of the Loch Ness monster, then the Elasmosaur is definitely your pal. It’s said that most stories involve an animal that is extremely similar to this creature.

7. Deinotherium

At times known as the ‘hoe tusker’, the Deinotherium was a creature that lived during the Middle Miocene era and died sometime during the Early Pleistocene era. It’s also known as being the third largest land animal to have ever existed, standing about 15 feet tall and weighing over 15.4 tons. The creature looks much like present-day elephants, the only real difference being that they had a shorter trunk and the tusks were attached to the lower jaw, not the upper jaw like today’s elephants. Deinotherium fossils have been found all over, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Africa. After these fossils were found, many believe that the large teeth and tusks were the catalysts to Greek beliefs of giant archaic creatures.

Ancient Ancestors
Just by looking at the Deinotherium, you can correctly assume that they are more than likely ancestors of the elephants you see today. The creature is also said to be related to the gomphotheres as well as the mastodons, both of which are extinct creatures.

6. Opabinia

Opabinia is one of the rarest fossils found in today’s world. There are less than twenty quality specimens of the creature, and archaeologists hope to discover more in time. The known fossils were mostly found in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia. Opabinia isn’t what you’d expect when you think about prehistoric ages. This species, known to live on the seafloor, had a soft body that was about seven centimeters long. They had a head with five eyes and a mouth underneath that was backwards. The backwards mouth is said to coincide with the fact that the creature had a proboscis, which was more than likely used to pass food to the mouth, as its length indicates. The creature also had a segmented body that was finished off by a fan-shaped tail.

Ancient Ancestors
When the Opabinia fossils were first discovered, scientists did not believe that the species was related to any known type of phylum at the time, but after numerous studies of the fossils, many believe that the species is related to arthropods as well as amenlid worms. Scientists also believe that the Opabinia is an ancestor of those creatures found in the onychophorans and tardigrades group.

5. Helicoprion

Known as the Spiral Saw, the Helicoprion is said to have lived during the Carboniferous period and was one of the few creatures able to live through the Permian-Triassic extinction event (‘The Great Dying’). Eventually the Helicoprion went extinct during the Triassic period. Though not many fossils have been found, archaeologists have found the tooth-whorl as well as jaw bones. With these, researchers have pieced together ideas of what the Helicoprion may have looked like. One thing we know for sure is that the creature had teeth that are very much like a circular saw, which was connected on the lower jaw. It had so many teeth because as new teeth grew, the older teeth were pushed out and into the middle to create the spiral. Length-wise the creature was said to be 10-15 feet.

Ancient Ancestors
The Helicoprion was said to be extremely shark-like, having cartilage, fins, and razor sharp teeth. In fact, some believe that the creature was a shark itself, but there is not enough evidence to prove this.

4. Quetzalcoatlus

The Quetzalcoatlus is said to be one of the largest, if not the largest creature, to ever roam the skies. The name comes from a reference to an Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl, who was known for being a feathered serpent. Known for living in the Late Cretaceous period, the pterodactyloid pterosaur was King of the Skies, spreading its wings to a span of up to 36 feet and standing almost 32 feet. The creature had a very pointy beak, which was used for collecting food, despite the fact that it had no teeth. The fossils were discovered and collected in Big Bend Park in Texas in 1971. It’s said that when on the ground, the animal was a quadruped, and that it had so much power that it could go straight into flight.

Ancient Ancestors
Comparing a huge creature like this to those in today’s world is definitely difficult. Since it was a pterosaur, the animal has no clear relatives living today. However, in its time it was most related to the Pteranodon, and today it can be compared to all living birds, most closely comparable is the Marabou stork. Many have compared the two due to the fact of it’s larger than normal wingspan, and the fact that both are said to scavenge for food.

3. Dimorphodon

The Dimorphodon was a pterosaur of medium size said to live during the early Jurassic Period. Its fossils were found in Lyme Regis in Dorset U.K. in 1828. The pterosaur’s name comes from Greek words that mean “two-form tooth.” Richard Owen crafted the name for the creature, in hopes to focus on its rare distinction within the entire reptilian family. The creature had two different types of teeth in its jaws, which is rarely heard of when examining reptiles. The Dimophodon stood about 3.3 feet tall, with a small neck but large head, and had a wingspan of 4.6 feet. It had a tail that included 33 vertebrae which may or may not have been used as a balancing mechanism when walking, but was definitely used during flight. Scientists still debate whether or not it walked on four legs or just two. Painting by Luis Ray.

Ancient Ancestors
Today there are no closely linked ties as to what the Dimorphodon resembles or may be related to. In fact, scientists say that the Dimophodon, because it was a pterosaur, was barely related to the dinosaurs that we all know. It’s a possibility that it was related to the insect-eating anurognathid, but many disagree. It can be said that the creature is related to birds of all types due to it having wings.

2. Jaekelopterus

First found fossilized in Klerf Formation Lagerstätte of Willwerath near Prüm, Germany, the Jaekelopterus is one of the largest arthropods that have been discovered thus far. It is said that the creature was about 8.2 feet tall and lived in fresh water lakes and rivers. Though exact measurements aren’t clear, scientists did have measurements of the chelicera, which are claws in front of the head used to grip food; and from there estimated the entire size of the creature. The chelicera itself was 18 inches long.

Ancient Ancestors
It is said that the ancient ancestors are most related to the horseshoe crab, arachnids, and scorpions, and fits into a group called the Merostomata. There is proof in both shape and size that the Jaekelopterus is probably related to these present day creatures. But, many see the most resemblance in scorpions and the Merostomata, so the Jaekelopterus is sometimes called the sea scorpion.

1. Hallucigenia

Hallucigenia fossils were first found in British Columbia, Canada; and more recently, in China. The name Hallucigenia comes from Simon Conway Morris, who was one of the first to take another look at the specimens that were already found by Charles Walcott. The name was derived from the idea that these creatures are extremely bizarre and have a dream-like quality to them, much like a hallucination. The creature was said to be from 0.5-3cm long and was very wormlike with a head that didn’t include most sensory organs we’d find today, such as the eyes and nose. Instead the Hallucigenia had seven pincer-tipped tentacles on each side of its body, and then three pairs of tentacles behind those. Some of these tentacles were paired with spines and it’s said that one had the main purpose of feeding the creature. Recent studies have shown both male and female species, the males having a more rounded head and neck while the females had the opposite.

Ancient Ancestors
It is said that Hallucigenia is a long time ancestor of modern day arthropods. Despite the fact that many believed the species was unrelated to any species today, it’s been said that they have very close ties to present-day arthropods as well as the Onychophora, also known as velvet worms.