Extinction
Videos
Extinction is the termination of a species via the death of its last member. A taxon may become functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to reproduce and recov
The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) is an example of a recently extinct species.
Palaeotherium is an example of an extinct genus that is only recorded from fossil records before the existence of hominids.
External mold of the extinct Lepidodendron from the Upper Carboniferous of Ohio
The dodo of Mauritius, shown here in a 1626 illustration by Roelant Savery, is an often-cited example of modern extinction.
Evolution
Videos
Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as genetic drift and natural selection act on
White peppered moth
Black morph in peppered moth evolution
Male moor frogs become blue during the height of mating season. Blue reflectance may be a form of intersexual communication. It is hypothesised that males with brighter blue coloration may signal greater sexual and genetic fitness.
The common garter snake has evolved resistance to the defensive substance tetrodotoxin in its amphibian prey.