Evidence of common descent

Common descent is the idea that all living things are connected to one another and share the same ancestors. Evidence of common descent includes the fossil record, the similarity of body structures between different living things, the shared genetic material between living things, and the similarity of behavior between different living things. The fossil record shows that different species evolve over time, and each species becomes more specialized as it evolves. The similarity in body structures between different species shows that they all evolved from a common ancestor. Shared genetic material means that all living things have similar genetic instructions, which means they must have evolved from a common ancestor. Finally, certain behaviors are shared among different species, suggesting that they evolved from the same ancestor. All of these pieces of evidence indicate that all living things share common ancestry and are descended from one common ancestor.