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	Evolve - slowly - over time.
	Over many generations, morę and morę of your species will have longer legs. One day, you’ll all have become modern, long-legged rabbits.	•

When they become separated, animal populations may evolve into new species. This happens as each group adapts to its different environment.

The Galapagos Islands in

the Pacific Ocean are home to many creatures that are found nowhere else on Earth. These include the marinę iguana.

Madagascar separated from mainland Africa around 160 million years ago. Of its land mammals,

98 percent are unique, including 50 types of lemur.

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on your advantage! Your longer-legged offspring will have a greater chance of survival.

Breed and produce lots of young. Being morę likely to survive and breed is called natural selection.

Evolutlonary experts

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

(1744-1829) argued incorrectly that organisms could pass on features they acąuired in their lifetime.

Charles Darwin (1809— 1882) came up with the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Gregor Mendel (1822— 1884) guessed that tiny particles (genes) pass on characteristics.

James Watson (b. 1928), Francis Crick (1916— 2004), and Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) discovered the structure of DNA, which contains the instructions for life.

Richard Dawkins

(b. 1941) put forward the “selfish gene” idea that organisms exist only to pass on their DNA.

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Humans and our closest relatives, chimps, have around three billion DNA bases or “letters.” The recipe for building a chimp is 96 percent identical to that for a human.

Elephant seals

Małe elephant seals are morę than twice the size of females. Being big and strong means they can overcome małe rivals.

Red deer

Małe red deer compete for females by roaring and fighting. They have evolved impressive antlers and a fearsome bellow.

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(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. Ali Rights Reserved.

Peacocks

Małe peacocks evolved brightly colored taił feathers. The glossy feathers show females that the małe is in good health.