The Berkeley Evolution Site The Berkeley site offers resources that can help students and teachers learn about and teach evolution. The resources are organized into different learning paths like "What does T. rex look like?" Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection explains how in time, creatures better able to adapt biologically to changing environments survive and those that are not extinct. ??? ???? is all about this process of biological evolutionary change. What is Evolution? The term "evolution" has a variety of nonscientific meanings. For instance "progress" or "descent with modification." Scientifically it refers to a process of changing the characteristics of organisms (or species) over time. In terms of biology the change is due to natural selection and genetic drift. Evolution is a key concept in the field of biology today. It is an accepted theory that has stood the tests of time and thousands of scientific tests. Unlike many other scientific theories like the Copernican theory or the germ theory of disease, the evolution theory does not address issues of spiritual belief or God's existence. Early evolutionists, such as Erasmus Darwin (Charles’s grandfather) and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck believed that certain physical traits were predetermined to evolve in a stepped-like manner over time. This was called the "Ladder of Nature", or scala Naturae. Charles Lyell used the term to describe this concept in his Principles of Geology, first published in 1833. Darwin revealed his theory of evolution in his book On the Origin of Species published in the early 1800s. It states that all species of organisms have an ancestry that can be traced through fossils and other evidence. This is the modern view of evolution, which is supported by many lines of research in science which includes molecular genetics. Although scientists aren't able to determine exactly how organisms evolved but they are certain that the evolution of life on earth is the result of natural selection and genetic drift. Individuals with advantageous characteristics are more likely than others to live and reproduce. They transmit their genes on to the next generation. Over ??? ???? , the gene pool gradually changes and evolves into new species. Some scientists also use the term evolution to refer to large-scale changes in evolutionary processes, such as the formation of a new species from an ancestral species. Others, like population geneticists, define evolution more broadly by referring the net change in allele frequencies over generations. Both definitions are valid and reliable, although some scientists argue that the definition of allele frequency is lacking crucial aspects of the evolutionary process. Origins of Life The birth of life is a key stage in evolution. This occurs when living systems begin to develop at the micro level, within cells, for example. The origins of life are an important topic in a variety of fields that include biology and the field of chemistry. The nature of life is a subject that is of immense interest to scientists, as it challenges the theory of evolution. It is sometimes referred to "the mystery" of life or "abiogenesis." The notion that life could emerge from non-living matter was known as "spontaneous generation" or "spontaneous evolutionary". This was a popular belief before Louis Pasteur's tests showed that the emergence of living organisms was not achievable through an organic process. Many scientists believe it is possible to move from nonliving to living substances. However, the conditions that are required are extremely difficult to replicate in a laboratory. Researchers interested in the origins and evolution of life are also keen to understand the physical properties of the early Earth as well as other planets. In addition, the development of life is dependent on a sequence of very complex chemical reactions that cannot be predicted based on basic physical laws on their own. These include the reading of long, information-rich molecules (DNA or RNA) into proteins that carry out a function, and the replication of these complex molecules to create new DNA or sequences of RNA. These chemical reactions are often compared with the chicken-and-egg issue of how life came into existence with the appearance of DNA/RNA and protein-based cell machinery is essential to the birth of life, however, without the appearance of life, the chemical process that allows it isn't working. Research in the field of abiogenesis requires cooperation among scientists from various fields. This includes prebiotic chemists, astrobiologists, planetary scientists geophysicists and geologists. Evolutionary Changes Today, the word evolution is used to describe gradual changes in genetic traits over time. These changes could result from adaptation to environmental pressures, as explained in the article on Darwinism (see the entry on Charles Darwin for background), or from natural selection. The latter is a mechanism that increases the frequency of genes which confer an advantage in survival over other species and causes an ongoing change in the overall appearance of a population. These evolutionary changes are triggered by mutations, reshuffling genes during sexual reproduction and gene flow. While reshuffling and mutations of genes happen in all living things, the process by which beneficial mutations are more prevalent is known as natural selection. This is because, as we've mentioned earlier those who have the beneficial trait tend to have a higher reproduction rate than those who do not have it. Over many generations, this variation in the number of offspring produced can result in gradual changes in the average amount of desirable traits in a population. An excellent example is the growing the size of the beaks on different species of finches in the Galapagos Islands, which have developed different beak shapes that allow them to easily access food in their new habitat. These changes in shape and form can also aid in the creation of new species. The majority of changes are caused by one mutation, but sometimes several occur at the same time. Most of these changes can be harmful or neutral however, a small percentage could have a positive impact on survival and reproduction with increasing frequency as time passes. Natural selection is a mechanism that can produce the accumulating change over time that leads to the creation of a new species. Some people confuse the idea of evolution with the notion that inherited characteristics can be altered through conscious choice or use and abuse, a notion known as soft inheritance. This is a misunderstanding of the nature of evolution and of the actual biological processes that cause it. A more accurate description is that evolution is a two-step procedure involving the independent and often conflicting forces of mutation and natural selection. Origins of Humans Humans today (Homo sapiens) evolved from primates - a group of mammals that includes chimpanzees and gorillas and bonobos. The earliest human fossils indicate that our ancestors were bipeds. They were walkers with two legs. Genetic and biological similarities suggest that we are closely related to chimpanzees. In fact we are the most closely related to the chimpanzees within the Pan Genus that includes pygmy and pygmy chimpanzees and bonobos. The last common human ancestor and chimpanzees was between 8 and 6 million years ago. Humans have developed a range of characteristics over time such as bipedalism, use of fire and advanced tools. It's only in the last 100,000 years that we have developed the majority of our essential traits. These include a large, complex brain human ability to construct and use tools, as well as cultural diversity. The process of evolution is when genetic changes allow members of a group to better adapt to the environment. This adaptation is driven by natural selection, which is a process by which certain traits are preferred over others. The better adaptable are more likely to pass their genes on to the next generation. This is how all species evolve, and the foundation for the theory of evolution. Scientists call it the "law of Natural Selection." The law states species that have a common ancestor are likely to develop similar traits as time passes. This is because these traits allow them to reproduce and survive within their environment. All organisms have a DNA molecule that contains the information needed to direct their growth and development. The DNA molecule is composed of base pairs arranged spirally around sugar molecules and phosphate molecules. The sequence of bases in each strand determines the phenotype - the characteristic appearance and behavior of a person. A variety of mutations and reshuffling of the genetic material (known as alleles) during sexual reproduction can cause variation in a population. Fossils from the earliest human species Homo erectus, as well as Homo neanderthalensis have been found in Africa, Asia and Europe. Although there are some differences, these fossils all support the notion that modern humans first came into existence in Africa. The evidence from fossils and genetics suggests that early humans left Africa and moved to Asia and Europe.
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