Science Common Sense


1618 - What is the modern biological theory of evolution?

The modern biological theory of evolution is called the "Synthetic Theory of Evolution." It says that all living things on Earth have changed over time through a process called evolution.

Here's a simple explanation:

  1. Variation: All living things have small differences in the way they look or work. These differences are like tiny mistakes that happen when their parents' genes (the instructions that make us who we are) are copied.

  2. Hereditary: These tiny differences are passed down from parents to offspring through genes.

  3. Adaptation: When the environment changes, the living things that have traits that help them survive better are more likely to reproduce. For example, if it gets really cold, birds that have thicker feathers might be more likely to survive and have babies.

  4. Natural selection: This is the process where the living things that are best adapted to their environment are more likely to reproduce. Over time, this leads to the spread of helpful traits.

  5. Speciation: After lots of changes over a really long time, new species can form. This is like a big branch on the family tree of life.

So, the Synthetic Theory of Evolution says that small changes add up over time to create the amazing diversity of life on Earth.