Biochemical evidence, Science

Assignment Help:

Biochemical Evidence:

As we had said earlier in section 13.2, Darwin had  recognized  that humans and the great apes shared many physical characteristics. This led him  to conclude, that humans and apes descended from a common stock. Darwin's conclusions were based on the study of fossils and the physical similarities  that he had observed. Now, a century later biochemical studies of  proteins and the genetic material-DNA  show how good his guess  was, Biochemical studies show us that, as evolution proceeds and the species get differentiated,  they accumulate changes in the structure of  their proteins and DNA. Longer the separation time, greater the changes. These changes are expressed in terms of  percent genetic distance which indicates  the proportional difference between the DNA of  the two species. Comparative studies of the proteins of  the African apes and humans showed that chimpanzees, gorillas and humans are closely related  to one another, while the Asian apes, i.e. the gibbon and orangutan were the more distant cousins of  this trio  .

 

1779_Biochemical Evidence.png

Once the Asian and African apes were considered to be closely related and it was thought that  the hominids developed from apes prior  to 15 million years ago. Biochemical evidence, however, indicates that the ape-human divergence may have been much closer to five million years and that  thc gorilla split off  first, leaving the chimpanzees and the human-like creatures to share a common ancestor briefly before separating. Ramapithecus fossil specimen found in Asia, Europe and Africa was at one time thought to be closely related  to the species of modem man. However, on the basis of biochemical evidence, it has now been  shown that  it cannot be considered a homonid, because it  lived before  the Asian apes diverged from hominids. Same is true for Sivapithecus indicus, a fine fossil specimen of which was discovered in  1980 from the foothills of  the western Himalayas in  Pakistan. 


Related Discussions:- Biochemical evidence

Zoology, I need help with a few homework questions...We had a substitute, a...

I need help with a few homework questions...We had a substitute, and I didn''t get the chance to finish reading the chapter.

Soil Science, A soil with a large buffering capacity can be expected to hav...

A soil with a large buffering capacity can be expected to have: A. A tremendous amount of iron oxides B. Little ability to retain basic cations C. A high ability to retain cation

Law of the sea convention in respect to fishing, Question: The Law of t...

Question: The Law of the Sea Convention came into force in 1994. Art.56(1)provides the coastal state with sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conservi

Stimulate the making of red blood cells - function of kidney, Stimulate the...

Stimulate the Making of Red Blood Cells - Function of Kidney Stimulate the making of red blood cells. Erythropoietin is a hormone responsible for maintaining the right amount o

First aid procedures, First Aid Procedures :   Your Counsellor will explain...

First Aid Procedures :   Your Counsellor will explain the first aid procedures through a demonstration session. Carefully observe ali the steps. Try to relate the contents of the f

Explain the radioactive proteins, Explain the Radioactive Proteins If a...

Explain the Radioactive Proteins If a sample of plasma is allowed to incubate with the radioactive iodine ( 131 I) for 30 minutes or more, some of the protein combines with iod

Explain skin secretions - external defence mechanism, Explain Skin Secretio...

Explain Skin Secretions - External Defence Mechanism The oil and sweat secreted by sebaceous and soporiferous glands contains fatty and lactic acids, which makes the surface of

Some features of the forests, Some Features of  the Forests: Forests...

Some Features of  the Forests: Forests are the most widespread  stretches of vegetation, harbouring diverse kinds of life forms. They are dominated by trees. Besides trees, f

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd