Evolution is responsible for both the remarkable similarities we see across all life and the amazing diversity of that life — but exactly how does it work? Here, we’ll find out.

Each of these four processes is a basic mechanism of evolutionary change and is illustrated with an example of gene frequency change in a beetle population with brown and green individuals.

Evolution 101 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: An introduction to …

This in-depth, multi-part course takes you through evolutionary theory and mechanisms, from definitions to details, natural selection to genetic drift, mutations to punctuated equilibrium.

Jan 31, 2026 · And in terms of evolutionary success, no outcome is more important than that! Recent research has uncovered the genetic and environmental mechanisms that underlie this fascinating …

This definition encompasses everything from small-scale evolution (for example, changes in the frequency of different gene versions in a population from one generation to the next) to large-scale …

Understanding Evolution

Development is the process through which a fertilized egg, the earliest stage of an embryo, becomes an adult organism. Throughout development, an organism’s genotype is expressed as a phenotype, …

Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift. Darwin’s grand idea of evolution by natural selection is relatively simple but often …

Natural selection, genetic drift, and other evolutionary processes act on genetic variation – and that genetic variation starts with mutation. Even if a genetic variant is introduced to a population through …