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
Tiktaalik What has the head of a crocodile and the gills of a fish? - Updated June 2009
Tiktaalik, of course. Pronounced tik-TAA-lik, this 375 million year old fossil splashed across headlines as soon as its discovery was announced in April of 2006. Since their initial publication on Tiktaalik, paleontologists Neil Shubin, Edward Daeschler, and Farish Jenkins, have continued to study its remarkable fossils.

Read on for an update to the original Tiktaalik story. >>

highlights

Why the eye? Why the eye?
Eyes are clearly incredibly useful, but where did the eye come from? How did so many animals evolve eyes and why do they look so different? This case study answers these questions.
Biological warfare and the coevolutionary arms race Biological warfare and the coevolutionary arms race
Dr. Edmund D. Brodie, Jr. explores the ten-thousand year evolutionary battle between toxic newts and the snakes who dine on them.




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?
Misconceptions about natural selection and adaptation Misconceptions about natural selection and adaptation
Natural selection is often misconstrued as a process that perfects organisms and provides them with exactly what they need. Find out the truth.

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).