oday, there is strong evidence from genetics that all organisms have a common ancestor. For example, every living cell makes use of nucleic acids as i

• Today, there is strong evidence from genetics that all organisms have a common ancestor. For example, every living cell makes use of nucleic acids as its genetic material and uses the same 20 amino acids as the building blocks for proteins. The universality of these traits strongly suggests common ancestry. That means human beings and tarantula might have descended from a common ancestor. However, some also argue that evolutionary common descent ‘degrades’ human beings by placing them on the same level as other animals
• Darwin had no working mechanism for inheritance, so he could not explain it at that time. This was provided in 1865 by Gregor Mendel, whose research revealed that distinct traits were inherited in a well-defined and predictable manner.