"Evolution is the change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations."
The study of how living things change over time, which is important in understanding how different species evolved and diversified over millions of years.
The history of life on Earth: Learn about the different geological eras and their associated flora and fauna. This will help you understand the context in which evolution occurred.
The principles of natural selection: Understand how natural selection works and its role in shaping the traits of different species.
Genetic variation: Learn about how genetic variation arises and how it is maintained in populations.
Adaptation: Study the different mechanisms by which organisms adapt to their environment, including physiological, behavioral, and morphological adaptations.
Biogeography: Learn how the distribution of living organisms across the planet can provide evidence for evolutionary patterns.
Fossils: Understand how fossils are formed and how they can be used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of different groups of organisms.
Cladistics: Study how different species are classified based on their evolutionary relationships and how this system of classification is used to understand evolutionary patterns.
Molecular evolution: Learn how the study of DNA and other molecules can provide evidence for evolutionary relationships and patterns.
Mechanisms of evolution: Understand the different mechanisms by which evolution occurs, including genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, and natural selection.
Human evolution: Study the evolutionary history of our own species, including the development of bipedalism and the evolution of the brain.
Phylogenetics: Learn how the evolutionary relationships between different species are inferred and reconstructed using molecular and morphological data.
Evolutionary ecology: Understand how ecological factors such as competition and predation can drive evolution and shape the traits of different species.
Evolutionary developmental biology: Study how the development of different structures and organs can shed light on evolutionary relationships and patterns.
Coevolution: Learn how the interactions between different species, such as predator-prey relationships, can drive evolution and shape the traits of both species.
Biostatistics: Understand how statistical analysis is used to test hypotheses about evolutionary patterns and relationships.
Biological evolution: The process by which organisms change over time through the process of natural selection and genetic adaptations.
Cultural evolution: The process by which human ideas, beliefs, and behavior change over time through the process of social learning and communication.
Stellar evolution: The process by which stars change over time as they age and consume their fuel.
Chemical evolution: The process by which atoms and molecules combine and recombine over time to create new chemical compounds.
Evolutionary psychology: The study of how human behavior and psychology have evolved over time to meet the challenges of our ancestors.
Linguistic evolution: The process by which languages change over time through the process of language acquisition, usage, and social interaction.
Technological evolution: The process by which technologies change over time as they are developed, improved, and replaced by newer innovations.
"The processes that change DNA in a population include natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow."
"The theory of evolution by natural selection was conceived independently by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-19th century."
"Evolution occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation."
"Certain characteristics become more or less common within a population over successive generations."
"The theory was an explanation for why organisms are adapted to their physical and biological environments."
"(1) more offspring are often produced than can possibly survive; (2) traits vary among individuals; (3) different traits confer different rates of survival and reproduction; and (4) traits can be passed from generation to generation."
"Evolution was combined with Mendelian inheritance and population genetics to give rise to modern evolutionary theory."
"All life on Earth—including humanity—shares a last universal common ancestor (LUCA), which lived approximately 3.5–3.8 billion years ago."
"The fossil record includes a progression from early biogenic graphite to microbial mat fossils to fossilised multicellular organisms."
"Existing patterns of biodiversity have been shaped by repeated formations of new species (speciation), changes within species (anagenesis), and loss of species (extinction)."
"Morphological and biochemical traits tend to be more similar among species that share a more recent common ancestor, which historically was used to reconstruct phylogenetic trees."
"Their discoveries have influenced not just the development of biology but also other fields including agriculture, medicine, and computer science."
"Researchers have constructed theories based on evidence from the field or laboratory and on data generated by the methods of mathematical and theoretical biology."
"Traits can be passed from generation to generation (heritability of fitness)."
"The processes that change DNA in a population include natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow."
"Existing patterns of biodiversity have been shaped by repeated formations of new species (speciation)."
"In this synthesis, the basis for heredity is in DNA molecules that pass information from generation to generation."
"Different traits confer different rates of survival and reproduction (differential fitness)."
"Their discoveries have influenced not just the development of biology but also other fields including agriculture, medicine, and computer science."