The Synthesis of "common ancestor"

Discover common descent, the evolutionary theory that all life on Earth shares a single universal ancestor. Learn how it unites all living things.

Discover homologous structures, the similar anatomical features in different species that point to a shared common ancestor and divergent evolution.

An overview of Neanderthals, our closest extinct relatives, and how their ancient DNA continues to influence modern humans today.

A look at phylogenetic trees, the diagrams that map the evolutionary history of life, and their growing importance in science and medicine.

Discover Charles Darwin, the English naturalist whose groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection forever changed our understanding of life on Earth.

Discover allopatric speciation, the evolutionary process where new species arise from geographic isolation. Learn how barriers create biodiversity.

Discover hominids, the primate family including great apes and all early human ancestors. Learn about their evolution and our shared lineage.

Discover cladistics, the scientific method for classifying organisms based on shared ancestry and mapping the evolutionary 'family trees' of life.

Explore the incredible journey of human evolution, from early primate ancestors to modern Homo sapiens and the science that reveals our shared past.

Explore the Tree of Life, the scientific model mapping the evolutionary relationships that connect every living organism on Earth.