In the final blog in our GCSE Science series on evolution, we look at more recent, genetic, evidence for evolution. Explaining evolution 10 – Recent evidence to support evolution As mentioned in ‘Explaining Evolution 2 – Early observation’ some fossil, geological, anatomical and behavioural evidence was available to Darwin and his colleagues in formulating the theory […]

Blog 9 in our GCSE Science series on evolution looks at Darwin’s Finches. Explaining evolution 9 – Darwin’s finches The AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus poses the question: ‘How do new species of plants and animals develop?’  The finches of the Galapagos Islands (or Darwin’s finches) are a good example of how evolution explains the […]

The 8th blog in the Explaining evolution series aimed at those studying, or interested in studying, GCSE Science looks at the evidence for evolution. Explaining evolution 8 – Evidence for Evolution At the time of the formulation of evolutionary theory, scientific evidence supporting it was sparse but since that time there has been a continual feed of […]

In blog 7 of our  GCSE Science series Explaining evolution we look at the concept of the survival of the fittest. Explaining evolution 7 – ‘Survival of the fittest’ Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is sometimes summarised in the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’.  In our everyday life as a human being on planet Earth most of us […]

The 6th blog in our GCSE Science series Explaining evolution looks at Darwin’s work. Explaining evolution 6 – Darwin’s theory of evolution In the previous blogs I referred to current scientific understanding that explains evolution through evidence from fossils, extremely long time scales and species development by random mutation. In the 19th century this understanding of […]

The 5th in our series of science blogs exploring evolution looks at mutation. Explaining evolution 5 – What is a mutation Fossils have a provided a substantial amount of evidence that allows scientists to chart the development of living organisms over billions of years. So how do species of plants and animals develop? Scientific observation […]

Here is the 4th in our series of science blogs explaining evolution. Explaining evolution 4 – What is a fossil? The blooming of a flower is a relatively short event in the life of a plant. The appearance of the colourful bloom can be extended by pressing the flower between dry pieces of paper that […]

Here is the third in our series of science blogs exploring evolution. Explaining evolution 3 – Time scales One thing we cannot do is turn back the clock to see what has come before on this planet. We use human evidence (e.g. pictures or writing) for recent events, but for changes that happened before humans […]

The second in a series of science blogs looking at evolution. Explaining evolution 2 – Early observation From the beginning of civilisation it seems that humans must have wondered how their existence had come about. We can say this because very early paintings and artifacts indicate that the humans who made them observed life around […]

Here is the first in a series of science blogs exploring evolution. Explaining evolution 1 – Species Evolution is an explanation to answer the questions: ‘Why have some species of plants and animals died out?’ and, ‘How do new species of plants and animals develop?’ Yet evolution is not an easy concept for students of […]