"Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes (natural selection, common descent, speciation) that produced the diversity of life on Earth."
The principles and processes of evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation.
Natural selection: The process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population based on their ability to aid in survival and reproduction.
Genetic variation: The range of genetic differences that exist within a population, which are the raw material upon which natural selection acts.
Adaptation: Traits that have evolved through natural selection to aid in survival and reproduction in a given environment.
Mutation: A change in the DNA sequence that can introduce new variation into a population.
Gene flow: The movement of genes between populations through migration or interbreeding.
Genetic drift: Random fluctuations in the frequency of alleles (different versions of a gene) in a population due to chance events.
Phylogenetics: The study of the evolutionary relationships between species and the tracing of their ancestry through time.
Behavioral ecology: The study of how animal behavior is shaped by natural selection and its role in survival and reproduction.
Evolutionary psychology: The study of how human behavior and psychology have been shaped by evolutionary processes.
Coevolution: The reciprocal evolution of two or more species that interact with each other, such as predators and prey, parasites and hosts, or pollinators and plants.
Sexual selection: The process by which traits that are advantageous in attracting mates (such as bright colors, elaborate displays, or elaborate songs) are favored by natural selection.
Biogeography: The study of how the distribution of species around the globe has been influenced by historical and evolutionary factors.
Paleontology: The study of fossils and the history of life on Earth, including the evolutionary relationships between different groups of organisms.
Molecular evolution: The study of the evolution of genes and genomes at the molecular level, including the sequencing and analysis of DNA and RNA.
Cultural evolution: The study of how cultural practices and beliefs change over time and are transmitted from one generation to the next.
Darwinian evolution: This theory was proposed by Charles Darwin, who suggested that evolution is a process of natural selection, where the individuals with the most favorable traits survive and reproduce.
Neo-Darwinian evolution: Neo-Darwinism is an extension of the Darwinian theory that takes into account the discoveries of genetic science. It postulates that evolution occurs through changes in genes in the form of random mutations, which are then filtered by natural selection.
Punctuated equilibrium: This theory argues that evolution occurs in spurts of very rapid change followed by periods of relative stasis or stability.
Cultural evolution: Cultural evolution theory suggests that human culture evolves in much the same way as biological organisms, through the process of descent with modification.
Sociobiology: Sociobiology proposes that social behavior is subject to the same evolutionary forces as physical traits and that our genes influence our social behavior.
Memetics: Memetics is a theory that posits that culture evolves through the replication and transmission of cultural units called "memes.".
Biocultural evolution: This theory argues that human evolution is shaped not only by biology but also by culture and that cultural evolution has played a significant role in shaping human biology.
Co-evolution: This theory suggests that the evolution of one species is influenced by the evolution of another species with which it interacts.
Lamarckian evolution: This outdated theory proposed that evolution occurs when individuals pass on acquired characteristics to their offspring.
Orthogenetic evolution: This theory posits that evolution progresses in a predetermined direction toward a final goal.
"It is also defined as the study of the history of life forms on Earth."
"Evolution holds that all species are related and gradually change over generations."
"In a population, the genetic variations affect the phenotypes (physical characteristics) of an organism."
"These changes in the phenotypes will be an advantage to some organisms, which will then be passed onto their offspring."
"Some examples of evolution in species over many generations are the peppered moth and flightless birds."
"In the 1930s, the discipline of evolutionary biology emerged..."
"...through what Julian Huxley called the modern synthesis of understanding, from previously unrelated fields of biological research, such as genetics and ecology, systematics, and paleontology."
"The investigational range of current research has widened to encompass the genetic architecture of adaptation, molecular evolution, and the different forces that contribute to evolution, such as sexual selection, genetic drift, and biogeography."
"Moreover, the newer field of evolutionary developmental biology ("evo-devo") investigates how embryogenesis is controlled, thus yielding a wider synthesis that integrates developmental biology with the fields of study covered by the earlier evolutionary synthesis."