Evolution

Evolution is the process by which different kinds of living organisms have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. It is the change in the inherited characteristics of a population of organisms over successive generations. For example, a population of birds that live near a forest may have evolved to have longer beaks than those that live near a desert. This allows them to better reach into crevices in trees to find food. Evolution happens through a process called natural selection, which is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environments tend to survive and reproduce more than less well-adapted organisms. Over time, these organisms will pass on their traits to their offspring, and the population will gradually change to become better adapted to their environment. An analogy to help explain this concept would be a race. The fastest runners in the race will tend to win, and over time, the fastest runners will become more numerous in the population. This is similar to how natural selection works, with the most fit organisms in a population becoming more prominent over time. One fun fact about evolution is that it is responsible for the variety of colors and patterns we see in the feathers of birds today. These patterns evolved to help birds better hide from predators or attract mates.