"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 study of how life has changed over time and the processes that have driven its diversification.
Basics of Evolution: Understanding the processes of evolution, natural selection, genetic variation, and the origins of life. This topic involves understanding the basic principles of evolution and how different species have evolved over time through genetic changes.
Genetics and Inheritance: Understanding the basic principles of genetics, inheritance, and how genetic information is passed on from one generation to the next.
The Tree of Life: Understanding the classification and relationship between different species and how they fit into the broader picture of the evolution of life on Earth.
Adaptation and Natural Selection: Understanding how organisms have adapted to their environment and how natural selection has enabled species to develop certain features that help them survive.
Biogeography and Migration: Understanding the distribution of species around the world, and how migration and isolation have played a role in shaping the evolution of different populations.
Evolutionary Mechanisms: Understanding the different mechanisms of evolution, such as genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation.
Fossils and the History of Life: Learning about the history of life on Earth, and the evidence that has been left behind through fossils and other geological records.
Behavioral Ecology: Understanding how animal behavior has evolved to help them survive and reproduce in their environment.
Speciation: Understanding how different populations of the same species can evolve into distinct species over time.
Comparative Anatomy: Understanding the similarities and differences between different species, and how they have evolved over time.
Molecular Evolution: Understanding how molecular techniques can be used to study the evolution of species.
Paleontology: Understanding the study of fossils and extinct organisms to reconstruct the history of life on Earth.
Ecology and Ecosystems: Understanding the interactions between species and their environment, and how these interactions have affected the evolution of different organisms.
Evolutionary Biogeography: Understanding the distribution of species and how their distributions have been shaped by evolutionary processes.
Phylogenetics: Understanding the relationships between different species through the study of their genetic and morphological similarities and differences.
Molecular Evolution: It is the study of changes in the DNA sequences of molecules that have been horizontally transferred or vertically inherited over millions/billions of years.
Microbial Evolution: The study of microorganisms' evolution and their adaptation to critical environments.
Population Genetics: It explores the causes and consequences of the genetic variation and changes in populations' gene pool over generations.
Phylogenetics: It is the study of evolutionary relationships illustrated by evolutionary trees, and the genetic or morphological features that define them.
Evolutionary Ecology: It is the study of how organisms interact with their environment and how their traits are shaped by ecological selection.
Evo-devo (Evolutionary Developmental Biology): The study of the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie the evolution of morphological novelties and diversification of body plans over time.
Comparative Genomics and Proteomics: The study of comparing the genomes and proteomes of different organisms to gain insights on the evolution of gene families, regulatory networks, or metabolic pathways.
Adaptive Radiation: It is the study of the proliferation and divergence of species across different habitats and ecological niches.
Behavioral Ecology: It is the study of how genetic and environmental factors interact to shape animal behavior, mating strategies, social structures, and cooperation.
Astrobiology: It studies the origins and evolution of life in the universe, and the potential for life beyond Earth. It integrates knowledge from various fields such as planetary science, geology, physics, chemistry, and biology.
"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."