The theory of evolution by natural selection, first formulated in
Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" in 1859, is the process by
which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable
physical or behavioral traits. Changes that allow an organism to better
adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring.
Evolution by natural selection is one of the best substantiated
theories in the history of science, supported by evidence from a wide
variety of scientific disciplines, including paleontology, geology,
genetics and developmental biology.
The theory has two main points, said Brian Richmond, curator of human
origins at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. "All
life on Earth is connected and related to each other," and this
diversity of life is a product of "modifications of populations by
natural selection, where some traits were favored in and environment
over others," he said.
