1. Evolution is the process by which life on Earth has changed over time from early forms to the diversity seen today.
2. Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection in 1859, suggesting that species evolve over generations through natural selection of inheritable traits that increase survival and reproduction.
3. Speciation, the evolution of new species, occurs when reproductive barriers emerge to prevent interbreeding between populations, most often due to geographical isolation or adaptation to new environments.