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Evolution

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A historical scientific sketch showing one of the earliest examples of a family tree for species, from Charles Darwin's 1837 notebooks.

What is Evolution?

Evolution is the way plants, animals, and all living things change over many, many years. These changes help them live better in their homes. Tiny differences in their bodies can grow and change after lots of babies are born.

Two smart men, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, first talked about this in the 1800s. They noticed that animals often have more babies than can live. Some babies are just a little different, and those differences can help them stay safe or find food.

Today we know that all living things share a very old ancestor from billions of years ago. Through evolution, we have many different kinds of plants and animals now.

How Does Evolution Work?

Evolution happens because of tiny changes in something called DNA. DNA is like a recipe book inside every living thing. Sometimes small mistakes, called mutations, happen in the recipes. These can make new traits.

When animals or plants move to new places, they bring their recipes with them. This is called gene flow. All these little changes add up over time.

Scientists study evolution to learn about biology and even help in computer science. They look at old bones, called fossils, and compare DNA to see how life changes.

Fun Facts About Traits

One fun thing about evolution is how we get our traits from our parents. For example, your eye colour might look like your mother’s or father’s. These traits come from tiny parts called genes.

Genes are in every cell of our bodies and make up our genotype. But what we look like, called our phenotype, also depends on where we live. For instance, if you get a lot of sunshine, your skin might get darker.

Some people, like those with albinism, have genes that make their skin stay light no matter the sun. This shows how genes can change what we see!

Images

A beautiful moth known as the peppered moth, Biston betularia, showcasing its intricate wing patterns.
A beautiful moth known as the peppered moth, showing its distinctive wing pattern.
A Moor frog (Rana arvalis), a small amphibian found in wetland areas.
Skeleton of a baleen whale showing parts like the shoulder blade, foreleg, and hind leg bones.
An Eastern Garter Snake resting in a park in Wooster, Ohio.
A scientific comparison of ape skeletons, showing the bones of different primates like gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans.
A colorful tree showing how different types of living things (like animals, bacteria, and other organisms) are related to each other.
Portrait of Alfred Russel Wallace, a famous naturalist and explorer from the 19th century.
A colorful 3D model showing the structure of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic code in living things.
Illustration of Darwin's finches, showcasing different bird species from the Galapagos Islands.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Evolution, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.