LiveScience Topics: Evolution

Evolution is among the most substantiated concepts in science and is the unifying theory of biological science. Charles Darwin co-originated, with Alfred Russel Wallace, the theory of evolution by natural selection. His masterwork, the 1859 "Origin of Species," offered ample evidence for evolution having occurred, as well as the first strong explanation for its mechanism, natural selection. Modern evolutionary theory incorporates these concepts: species change over time; genetic mutations are responsible for the changes; individuals with beneficial genetic mutations will survive preferentially compared with their competitors, in a process known as natural selection; those successful individuals' more numerous offspring will spread the beneficial genetic constructs throughout the population; when enough genetic changes reproductively isolate a population, that population has become a new species. Here you'll find news and information on evolution and the battle with proponents of so-called creation science.

Explore Evolution

The Future of Evolution: What Will We Become?

Will we split into two species or grow huge heads?
Humans Still Evolving as Our Brains Shrink

Shrinking brains and lactose intolerance are two signs that human evolution is still at work.
Human Evolution: The Origin of Tool Use

Why did we start using tools? What do other tool users in our family tree say about our early evolution?

More Evolution News and Information

Surprising Sex Behavior Found in Bats

Humans and primates aren't the only ones to experiment with oral sex. Bats do it too.
Top 10 Things that Make Humans Special

What separates humans from other animals? Some of the answers might surprise you.
Klondike Holds Clues to Ancient Environment

Alaska, Siberia and the Canadian Yukon remained ice-free during the ice age and was home to unique organisms.
Top 10 Mysteries of the First Humans

Humans are unique among life on this planet, and much remains a mystery as to how we evolved.
Chupacabra? Creationist Museum Displays Mystery Beast

Last week a most unusual animal made its world premiere in an equally strange museum in the small town of Phoenix, New York.
Why Have Sex? To Fend Off Parasites

New research shows one way sexual reproduction is advantageous over asexual reproduction: it protects against parasites
Monkey Drumming Suggests the Origin of Music

Primate communication systems shed light on the origins of language and music.
Origin of Komodo Dragon Revealed

New study suggests that the giant lizards came from the land down under.
Our Ancestor: Not Chimp, Not Human

Earliest hominid remains shed light on human origins.
Four-Winged Dinosaur Discovered in China

A new four-winged dinosaur sheds light on evolution of birds.
Why Fall Colors Are Different in U.S. and Europe

Changes during ice ages might explain fall color differences between European and North American trees.
Wolves Beat Dogs on Logic Test

Wolves do better on some logic tests than dogs, a new study found.
New Understanding of the Heart's Evolution

Now scientists have a better understanding how the complex heart evolved.
Studying the Sex Secrets of a Snail Parasite

Evolutionary biologist studies snails to investigate sexual reproduction in parasites.
Why Did Evolution Produce Depression?

Well, maybe depression's not such a bad thing.
The Appendix: Useful and in Fact Promising

Who knew that the appendix was good for something?
Fire Used to Make Better Tools 75,000 Years Ago

Humans used fire to improve stone tools much earlier than thought, archaeologists found.
Monkeys (and Humans) Prefer Mimics

Capuchin monkeys show affiliation for those who imitate them, similar to humans.
Mammals Beat Reptiles in Battle of Evolution

Study finds mammals, birds, fish are evolution's winners; crocodiles, alligators are losers.
Modern Insanity: What Really Makes Us Crazy

The typical American lifestyle teems with risk factors for mental illness.
Oldest Animal Fossils Found in Lakes, Not Oceans

Fossils discovered in a lake may force scientists to rethink where life began.

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LiveScience Topics: Evolution

Explore Evolution

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