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Evolution of Life: Core Framework
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Evolution is the change in heritable characteristics of populations across generations.
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The subject has two distinct components:
- Origin of life → how the first living systems arose from non-living chemistry.
- Biological evolution → how living populations changed and diversified after life originated.
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Earth formed about 4.54 billion years ago. Evidence for life extends deep into Earth's early history, although the exact time and mechanism of life's origin remain unresolved.
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The chapter's core progression is:
Early Earth → Chemical evolution → First cells → Biological evolution → Diversification → Modern organisms
- Historically important evolutionary explanations include Lamarckism, Darwin's natural selection, Mutation Theory and the Modern Synthetic Theory.