Understanding Evolution: your one-stop source for information on evolution
Welcome to Understanding Evolution
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Dive right in: for basic information on how evolution works, start with Evolution 101.

Browse by topic

How evolution works What is evolution and how does it work?
Detailed explanations of the mechanisms of evolution and the history of life on Earth
Includes: Examples of evolution, Genetics, History of life on Earth, Macroevolution, Microevolution, Natural selection, Speciation ...
Relevance of evolution How does evolution impact my life?
The relevance of evolutionary theory to our everyday lives
Includes: Agriculture, Conservation, Medicine ...
Evidence and examples What is the evidence for evolution?
Multiple lines of scientific evidence relating to evolution
Includes: Homology and analogy ...
History of evolutionary thought What is the history of evolutionary theory?
The history of ideas, research, and contributors in the study of evolution


Looking for information on controversies in the public arena relating to evolution? See our frequently-asked questions.


Teaching evolution

Understanding Evolution for teachers

Explore the ultimate evolution resource for K-12 teachers, including:

• lesson plans

• conceptual framework

...and more.

Teachers click here >>

Evo in the news
bird flu Evolution and the avian flu - updated July 2009
The warnings are dire. The economic cost for developed countries alone is estimated at 550 billion dollars, and the projected worldwide death toll ranges between 2 million and 150 million people. The very real specter behind these warnings is, of course, avian flu. As the virus spreads through bird populations, governments have heeded the warnings of health officials and begun to cull infected flocks. More than 150 million birds have been killed so far...

Read the whole story to see the evolution connection >>

highlights

David Jablonski How to survive a mass extinction: The work of David Jablonski
David Jablonski researches how patterns of evolution relate to mass extinctions. Why are some species doomed while others survive?
Phylogenetic systematics, a.k.a. evolutionary trees Phylogenetic systematics, a.k.a. evolutionary trees
All life on Earth is united by evolutionary history; we are all evolutionary cousins — twigs on the tree of life. Phylogenetic systematics is the formal name for the field within biology that reconstructs evolutionary history and studies the patterns of relationships among organisms.




Using trees to understand plants: The work of Chelsea Specht Using trees to understand plants: The work of Chelsea Specht
This research profile examines how the scientist Chelsea Specht studies plant evolution in order to understand the basis of diversity.
DNA and mutations DNA and mutations
Mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation and are therefore, essential to evolution. Learn more about the causes, effects, and types of mutations, as well as their role in evolution.

This site was created by the University of California Museum of Paleontology with support provided by the National Science Foundation (grant no. 0096613) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (grant no. 51003439).