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evolution Definition
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evolution
noun(evo-lu-tion)descent with modification from preexisting species : cumulative inherited change in a population of organisms through time leading to the appearance of new forms : the process by which new species or populations of living things develop from preexisting forms through successive generations; also : the scientific theory explaining the appearance of new species and varieties through the action of various biological mechanisms (such as natural selection, genetic mutation or drift, and hybridization)
evolution
noun(evo-lu-tion)the historical development of a biological group (such as a race or species) : phylogeny
evolution
noun(evo-lu-tion)a process of change in a certain direction : unfolding
evolution
adjective(evo-lu-tion)opposing or rejecting the biological theory of evolution or prohibiting its teaching
evolution
noun(evo-lu-tion)evolution that is a creative product of a vital force rather than a spontaneous process explicable in terms of scientific laws
evolution
noun(evo-lu-tion)evolution that according to some theories involves the appearance of new characters and qualities at complex levels of organization (such as the cell or organism) which cannot be predicted solely from the study of less complex levels (such as the atom or molecule)