Evidence of common descent
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Evidence of common descent of living organisms has been discovered by scientists researching in a variety of disciplines over many decades, demonstrating that all life on Earth comes from a single anc
Figure 1a: While on board HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin collected numerous specimens, many new to science, which supported his later theory of evolution by natural selection.
Figure 2a: In July 1919, a humpback whale was caught by a ship operating out of Vancouver that had legs 4 ft 2 in (1.27 m) long. This image shows the hindlegs of another humpback whale reported in 1921 by the American Museum of Natural History.
Figure 3a: An insect trapped in amber
Figure 3b: Fossil trilobite, Kainops invius, from the early Devonian. Trilobites were hard-shelled arthropods, related to living horseshoe crabs and spiders, that first appeared in significant numbers around 540 mya, dying out 250 mya.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution is a 2009 book by British biologist Richard Dawkins, which sets out the evidence for evolution. It topped The Sunday Times' Bestseller list, with
First edition (UK)
The book is dedicated to Dawkins' technical assistant and web designer Josh Timonen (left).
The vestigial wings of the flightless cormorant, which it still hangs out to dry, are discussed in the book.