How do dating methods help to support the theory of natural selection and biological evolution? How is it different than Darwin’
s original ideas on speciation? Differentiate between absolute and relative dating techniques, giving one example of each. What is punctuated equilibrium?
Dating of the fossil has led to the discovery
of species that existed in the past but
became extinct. The fossils indicate that
the earliest species were different phenotypically
and genetically from today's species
hence supporting the theory of evolution.
The dating of fossils
does not support the gradual modification of organisms into new species as explicated in the theory of evolution and
speciation by Darwin. The numerous
discovered fossils exhibit a nonconstancy
of species without phyletic gradualism.
On the one hand, relative dating compares two or more
fossils and compares their ages relative to one another. Biostratigraphy and stratigraphy
techniques are used relative dating. On the other hand, absolute dating uses radiometric dating and carbon dating to ascertain the real age of a
fossil. Example of relative dating is comparing the sediment layers of rocks to determine which is older. An example of absolute dating is the use of half-life of 14C to determine the age of a
rock.
Punctuated equilibrium is a counter theory to Darwin's speciation theory. It explicates that species remain constant
over a long period of time before a particular
period when there emerges numerous variants, some of which survive and some
of which become extinct. This is as opposed
to the smooth gradual modification of
species by Darwin.
<span>(1) Specific sections of DNA molecules in the chromosomes are activated.</span> This <span>contain identical chromosomes to function differently.</span>
