1. Evolution is the process of change over time as organisms adapt to their environments through natural selection. 2. Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection after observing variations between species on different continents and that individuals with advantageous traits were more likely to survive and reproduce. 3. Genetic variations arise from random mutations and sexual reproduction, and those variations that help organisms survive and reproduce in their environment will be passed on while others may die out, leading to the formation of new species over many generations.