Science Ecosystems & Habitatsusually ages 12–14

Evidence for Evolution

Describe the main types of evidence for evolution: the fossil record (change over time), comparative anatomy (homologous structures), and the geographic distribution of related species

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Explains how fossils form and what they can tell us about past life
Uses the fossil record as evidence that species have changed over time
Describes homologous structures (e.g. pentadactyl limb) as evidence for common ancestry
Explains why island species provide evidence for evolution (e.g. Darwin's finches, Galapagos)

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

If your child visited a natural history museum and saw fossils and skeletons of different animals, could they explain how scientists use those to build up evidence that species change over time — and that different animals are related?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

How Natural Selection Worksages 12–14Evidence for evolution supports the theory of evolution by natural selection — the mechanism to be evidenced should be understood first

Evidence for Evolutionthis skill · ages 12–14

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

This skill sits beyond Year 6 in the Australian Curriculum, so no F–6 code is matched. It also sits beyond the NSW K–6 syllabuses. It also sits beyond Level 6 in the Victorian Curriculum.

Nearby on the map

Biodiversity & Resilienceages 12–14 Chromosomes, Genes & DNAages 12–13 Extinction & Rapid Changeages 12–14 Genetic Mutationages 12–14

All Ecosystems & Habitats skills →