Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection changed science forever, demonstrating that organisms develop over time in response to their environment, with the "fittest" species surviving. Live Science celebrates this groundbreaking discovery and everything scientists have learned since. From explaining human evolution and how long it takes new species to evolve, to the "missing link" in T. rex evolution and other weird animals that evolution came up with, our expert writers and editors ensure you always have amazing news, features and articles about evolution to enjoy.
And if you think you're already an expert at everything there is to know about evolution, you can test your knowledge with our evolution quiz and Charles Darwin quiz.
Discover more about evolution
—Evolution: Facts about the processes that shape the diversity of life on Earth
—100 years after death, evolution's other discoverer gains recognition
Latest about Evolution
Science history: Experiment shows mutations arise spontaneously, supporting pillar of Darwinian evolution — Nov. 20, 1943
Two bacteriologists showed that mutations arise spontaneously in bacterial cultures, thereby disproving Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of evolution.
Tomatoes randomly mated with another plant 9 million years ago. The result? Potatoes.
Researchers say they have finally uncovered the mysterious origins of one of our favorite carbs: the humble potato.
In rare evolutionary event, weird platypus cousin evolved from living in water to living on land
We may have gotten the evolutionary origins of the echidna backward, as new research suggests its ancestors probably lived in the water, not on land.
Evolution itself can evolve, new study argues
A new computer model suggests that the process of evolution can get better at evolving in the face of environmental change.
Our outer ears may have come from ancient fish gills, scientists discover
Scientists have traced the evolutionary origin of humans' outer ears to the gills of ancient fish through a series of gene-editing experiments.
Ferns can evolve 'backward,' scientists discover
Evolution is often depicted as a steady forward march from simple to complex forms. But new research shows that certain ferns can evolve ‘backward.’
Sunlight shapes our evolution — and may explain why some people have curly hair
Light helps explains the evolution of our skin color, why some of us have curly hair, and the size of our eyes. And light still shapes us today.
Evolution quiz: Can you naturally select the correct answers?
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