Evolution

Evolution means change.

In a biological context, evolution means the process of biological change in which descendants ultimately differ from their ancestors.

Two important thoughts about evolution:

  • evolution does not happen to individuals but to populations and communities and ecosystems: groups of individuals

  • the word evolution does not necessarily imply smooth or gradual change.

    Popular conceptions of "evolution" are typically not the same as what we mean in a scientific sense.

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    Among the things to keep in mind are this: scientific evolution is not directed. There is no "higher goal" to which organisms strive through evolution.

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