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Feb 29, 2024 · Evolution is the process of descent with modification that explains the origin and diversity of living things on Earth. Learn about the history, types, examples, and evidence of evolution from Britannica, a trusted source of knowledge.
- Francisco Jose Ayala
Oct 19, 2023 · Learn the history and key concepts of the theory of evolution by natural selection, a scientific explanation of how organisms change over time. Find out how natural selection, genetic drift, and other factors influence the evolution of life. Explore examples of organisms that show how natural selection works in nature.
Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, resulting in certain characteristics becoming more or less common within a population over successive generations.
Learn about Charles Darwin's theory of biological evolution by natural selection, and how it explains the diversity and adaptation of living things. Explore his voyage on the HMS Beagle and his observations of finches in the Galápagos Islands.
Learn how biologists use various lines of evidence to support the theory of evolution, from shared physical features and DNA sequences to fossil records and geographical distributions. Explore examples of homologous and analogous structures, macroevolution and microevolution, and direct observation of evolution.
Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection underlies all modern biology. It enables us to decipher our genes and fight viruses, as well as to understand Earth's fossil record and rich biodiversity. Simple and at times controversial, misunderstood and misused for social goals, the theory remains unchallenged as the central concept of biology.
The theory of evolution. As knowledge of plant and animal forms accumulated during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, a few biologists began to speculate about the ancestry of those organisms, though the prevailing view was that promulgated by Linnaeus—namely, the immutability of the species.