Model Assignment:
Support of a Thesis
Biology B3XX
Evolution
Microtheme #1
Instructions
There are many, often exquisite examples of plant and animal adaptations to the environment. Yet virtually all organisms also show anomalous traits such as the gill arches that appear and disappear during human development, the pelvic girdles and rudimentary leg structures in snakes, and the use of poor-quality host plants by some butterflies even when high-quality host plants are available. Although the process of evolution by natural selection clearly involve adaptive processes, Darwin pointed to these examples of "imperfection" as providing some of the strongest evidence for evolution. He also concluded that evolution involves no overall design, direction, or purpose.
Write an essay in which you answer the following question:
Why do cases of imperfection, of vestigial organs or structures, and maladaptive traits provide strong evidence for evolution?
Length
One page maximum.
