neo-Darwinism
Modern theory of evolution, built up since the 1930s by integrating the 19th-century English scientist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection with the theory of genetic inheritance founded on the work of the Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel.
Neo-Darwinism asserts that evolution takes place because the environment is slowly changing, exerting a selection pressure on the individuals within a population. Those with characteristics that happen to adapt to the new environment are more likely to survive and have offspring and hence pass on these favourable characteristics. Over time the genetic make-up of the population changes and ultimately a new species is formed.
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