Charles Darwin was an English naturalist and geologist. He is best known for his theory of evolution. This theory suggests that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor. The mechanism by which evolution occurs is natural selection.
Darwin’s theory of evolution is supported by a large body of evidence, including fossils, biogeography, and comparative anatomy. Evolution has been observed in the lab and in the wild; it has been observed in nature as well as in the lab; it has been observed on multiple continents at different times during Earth’s history; it has been observed on every continent except Antarctica (and even there, penguins are evolving). Evolution is a fact.
Natural selection is not just a process that allows populations to adapt to their environments over time—it’s also a primary mechanism of evolution because it contributes directly to genetic variation within a population. Sexual selection can also drive evolutionary change when there are differences between males and females in their reproductive success due to different mating preferences or behaviors.
