LiveScience Topic:
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.

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Ancient Pre-Human Skeleton May Contain Shrunken Brain

A shrunken brain may potentially lie inside the fossil skull of a pre-human ancestor.

Fossil Skeletons May Be Human Ancestor

Skeletons of a juvenile boy and woman may have been the immediate ancestor to the human lineage.

Tiny Tyrannosaur Came from the Land Down Under

Scientists have identified the first evidence that tyrannosaurs lived in the southern hemisphere, a new study says.

Onions Made Pre-Human Ancestors Cry Too, Study Suggests

A chemical sensor in the body that makes you cry when you cut onions has been around for 500 million years, a new study finds.

Catching Evolution in the Act: Mating Choices Matter

Harvard University researchers are watching a new species of Ecuadorian Heliconius butterflies split off from the main population, as males choose mates based on wing colors.

Dog DNA Diversity Helps Show How Genes Work

Dog genome studies connect traits to genes, could shed light on human diseases.

Butterflies Evolved UV-vision to Help Find Mates

Butterfly Colors and Vision Are Related.

Fear of Spiders Can Develop Before Birth

Humans may be born with a fear of spiders and snakes, healthy phobias that up the odds of survival in the wild.

Migrating Monarch Butterflies Have Longer Wings

Study of monarch butterfly wings shows migratory populations have longer wings.

Termite Battles May Explain Evolution of Social Insects

A study of termites reveals how "worker" insects may have emerged.

Running Shoes Changed How Humans Run

Running shoes may have changed the way people run, causing them to strike the ground with their heel first, a new study says.

New Theory of Primate Origins Sparks Controversy

Dramatic geological events may have driven the origin of primates.

Slow Snails Are Quick to Make New Species

Snails may split into different species rapidly precisely because they move so slowly.

Breeding Has Made Dogs' Heads Incredibly Diverse

A new study reveals that the variety of skull shapes among domestic dogs has become just as diverse as the variety between other mammal species.

Alligator Breathing Sheds Light on Rise of Dinosaurs

Alligators discovered to breathe like birds; could explain rise of dinosaur ancestor.

Genes for Dogs Breeds Discovered

Dog traits linked to particular genes, such as Shar-Pei's wrinkles, could shed light on evolution of human genome.

Ongoing Evolution May Explain Mysterious Rise in Diseases

The rise in disorders such as autism could be partly due to the subtle pressures of human evolution.

Four-legged Creature's Footprints Force Evolution Rethink

Fossil footprints suggest four-legged creatures were around much earlier than thought.

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LiveScience Topic: Evolution

LiveScience Topic:
Evolution