The scientific theory of evolution by natural selection was conceived independently by two British naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, in the mid-19th century as an …

Dec 31, 2025 · Evolution, theory in biology postulating that the various types of living things on Earth have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are …

Oct 19, 2023 · Darwin and a scientific contemporary of his, Alfred Russel Wallace, proposed that evolution occurs because of a phenomenon called natural selection. In the theory of natural …

Evolution helps us to understand the living world around us, as well as its history. Biological evolution is not simply a matter of change over time.

Jan 7, 2026 · Evolution is the process of heritable change in populations of organisms over multiple generations. Evolutionary biology is the study of this process, which can occur …

Evolution is a process of continuous branching and diversification from common trunks. This pattern of irreversible separation gives life's history its basic directionality.

Apr 28, 2025 · Evolution explains how microscopic single-celled organisms eventually gave rise to the vibrant explosion of life we see today. It tells us how species adapt, survive, diverge, and …

Dec 31, 2025 · The Top Human Evolution Discoveries of 2025, From the Intriguing Neanderthal Diet to the Oldest Western European Face Fossil Smithsonian paleoanthropologists examine …

Learn all about the history of life with these resources and articles on natural selection, genetics, cell types, Charles Darwin, and more.

What is evolution and how does it work? Evolution 101 provides the nuts-and-bolts on the patterns and mechanisms of evolution. You can explore the following sections: