Is There Direct Evidence of Evolution?

The direct evidence for common descent and evolution are enabling evidence. They demonstrate that common descent is possible and maybe even likely. However, they don't conclusively show that common descent occurred because no one was there to observe it over such a long period of time (the same problem that exists when there is no direct eyewitness in a murder trial). We'll explain how genetics and observation provide evidence for evolution.

Direct Evidence and Evolution

The direct evidence for common descent supports evolution because:

we understand the basic mechanisms by which change occurs
we have seen changes occur
there is no known reason why large-scale changes can't occur over successive generations
there have been billions of years for evolution to work
there has been a huge number of organisms on which evolution could operate

Given these facts, it is reasonable to conclude that evolution has occurred. If you consider the fluidity of species demonstrated by ring species, natural selection, and the likelihood of many environmental changes over time, it becomes even more probable that large-scale evolution has occurred.

How Genetic Mutations Drive Evolution

The basic definition of evolution is a change in the gene pool of a population of organisms over time. All of evolution is based on genetic change. Scientists still have a lot to learn about the workings of genetic code, but science has built up a large volume of knowledge about how the genetic material of living organisms works. We have a pretty good understanding of what DNA does in general and, equally important to evolution, how DNA changes.

Observing Evolution - How Evolution Has Been Observed

The most basic direct evidence of evolution is our direct observation of evolution occurring. Creationists claim that evolution has never been observed when, in fact, it's been observed both in the lab and the field repeatedly.