Evolution
Evolution is the slow process that changes animals and plants and it’s a great piece of science! It describes loads of things in nature like fossils, peacocks' tails, lions’ teeth, birds’ wings and human brains, just to name a few. It is also supported by lots and lots of evidence that has been collected by scientists for more than 150 years!
All species are related to each other. If you trace your family tree back through your parents, grandparents etc. it will quite quickly join up with your cousin’s family tree. If you keep going back far enough, eventually your tree will join up with that of a chimpanzee! Keep going and it will join up with your pet hamsters, further still with your pet cats. Keep going and eventually it will join up with your pet goldfish and if you really keep going for a long time you can trace it back so it joins up with an apple tree’s family tree, and eventually bacteria will join up too!
species is a group of animals or plants that are very similar. Members of a species share the same characteristics. For example the species pet cats belong to all have sharp teeth, retractable claws, fur, a tail and the same number of toes and nipples. Members of our own species, Homo sapiens, to give it its proper name all walk upright, have some sharp teeth and some flat ones, our eyes point forwards, we have some hair but not all over and we have pretty big brains!
Theory by Charles Darwin
