Evolution

Evolution is the process by which different kinds of living organisms develop and diversify from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

A common ancestor is an ancestral species from which two or more different species have evolved.

Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring, often referred to as 'survival of the fittest'.

Embryology is the study of embryos and their development, which can provide evidence for evolutionary relationships.

A bottleneck event is a sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.

Genetic variation refers to the diversity in gene frequencies within a population, which is essential for natural selection.

The founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals becomes isolated from a larger population, leading to reduced genetic diversity.

The tree of life is a metaphor that illustrates the evolutionary relationships among various species, showing how they are connected through common ancestry.

Adaptation is a trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

Speciation is the process by which new species arise from existing species due to evolutionary changes.