Biology › Section J · Evolution › Topic J.1
Understanding evolution
Evolution is the change in a population's genetic makeup across generations - and natural selection, the mechanism Darwin and Wallace independently discovered from finches, tortoises, and beetles, explains both life's unity and its diversity. Here is how the theory was built, the evidence that supports it, and the misconceptions that distort it.
In this topic
- Before Darwin
- Darwin, Wallace, and the voyages
- Three principles, one mechanism
- Variation feeds the machine
- Fitness depends on the moment
- Divergent and convergent evolution
- Evidence written in the body
- Evidence on the map and in the molecules
- Worked example: the Grants' finches
- Worked example: did the antibiotic cause resistance?
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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