What is evolution?

Evolution is the name given to the gradual adaptation of living things to take advantage of the environment they live in.

This process, which takes place over millions of years, can mean that both animals and plants can change their appearance, size and habits, and eventually become new species.

We can see how evolution has changed living things by examining fossils. Fossils preserve the body parts of living creatures from long ago so that we can see how they have changed over millions of years. Sometimes the changes are very gradual, while others seem to have taken place quite rapidly. It is often possible to find a series of fossils, with each one showing a gradual change. This can tell us how a creature has altered due to the process of evolution. For example, scientists have traced the evolution of the horse from a tiny ancestor with normal toes to the large-hoofed animal we see today.