Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • BBC Science Focus Magazine

    THE EXPLAINER

    Aug 06, 2020 3 minutes
    by DR COLIN BARRAS

    HOW DOES EVOLUTION WORK?

    HOW DO WE KNOW THAT HUMANS EVOLVED FROM APES?

    The evolutionary changes we see occurring over a few decades are modest: a cricket that evolves to be silent is still a cricket. When evolution unfolds over longer timescales – thousands or millions of years – it can lead to much larger changes in physical appearance. This is why a microbe that lived billions of years ago ultimately evolved into every species alive today.

    By carefully assessing. It had adaptations for walking upright on two legs like we do, but its arms were more suited to hanging from branches, like chimpanzees. This mix of features supports the idea that humans and chimps have a common ancestor, and adds to the abundant fossil evidence that humans really did evolve from (and technically still are) apes.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from BBC Science Focus Magazine

    BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
    Mysterious Waves Detected In Jupiter's Core
    Under the swirling surface of the Solar System's biggest planet, unseen forces hold clues to what is hidden inside the gas giant. Now, a team of scientists from Harvard University say changes to Jupiter's magnetic field indicate the presence of myste
    BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
    Why Older Women Face A Greater Risk Of Broken Bones
    The world's population is undergoing an enormous shift because the average person is living longer. According to the World Health Organization, in 2020 there were more people aged 60 and over, than there were children under five. In the UK, there are
    BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
    What Dinosaur Would Be Most Dangerous To Us?
    If you believe the films, it would be a never-ending battle if dinosaurs and humans had to coexist. But, as with animals today, some dinosaurs would have been dangerous, and others would have been harmless … at least if left alone. We would probably

    Related Books & Audiobooks