Khan Academy Static

Human_evolution_The_evidence_American_Museum_of_Natural_History_

Humans have evolved just like all other species. We modern humans are the only remaining descendants of a once varied family of primates called hominids. All other hominids are now extinct. Fossils and DNA continue to reveal the details of our complex evolutionary history, which extends back millions of years and reveals that humans and other living primates share a common ancestor. New fossil finds continue to clarify what other hominids looked like, and how and when they lived.Technology to study DNA has emerged in the past few decades, adding to what fossils tell us.

Darwin_and_evolution_by_natural_selection_American_Museum_of_Natural_History_

Happiest at home with his notebooks and his microscope, he shunned the public eye. Controversy made him ill. This brilliant observer of nature kept his most original and revolutionary idea under wraps for decades. Yet today, two centuries after Charles Darwin's birth, nearly everyone knows his name. What did Darwin do, and why does he still matter so much?

Evolution_and_human_health_American_Museum_of_Natural_History_

Evolutionary knowledge about life on Earth affects our well-being every day, in ways perhaps less apparent but no less important than any of the other sciences. Phylogenetic sequence analysis, or understanding the relatedness of one species to others, can help scientists: identify viruses and develop effective vaccines, identify new species and thus inform biodiversity conservation efforts, or aid in the cultivation of pathogen-resistant crops. And identifying the evolutionary processes of disease agents that transfer between species may help scientists determine how to prevent and treat emerging diseases.