Common descent
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| - | A group of organisms is said to have '''common descent''' if they have a common [[ancestor]]. In modern [[biology]], it is generally accepted that all living [[organism]]s on [[Earth]] are descended from a common ancestor or ancestral gene pool. | + | In [[evolutionary biology]], a group of [[organism]]s share '''common descent''' if they have a '''common [[ancestor]]'''. There is [[evidence of common descent|strong evidence]] that all [[Life on Earth|living organisms on Earth]] are descended from a common ancestor, called the [[last universal ancestor]] or LUA (or last universal common ancestor, LUCA). |
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| + | Common ancestry between organisms of different species arises during [[speciation]], in which new species are established from a single ancestral population. Organisms which share a more recent common ancestor are more closely related. The [[most recent common ancestor]] of all currently living organisms is the last universal ancestor, which lived about [[Timeline of evolution|3.9 billion years ago]]. Thus all currently living organisms on Earth share a common genetic heritage (universal common descent), with each being the descendant from a single original species, though the suggestion of substantial [[horizontal gene transfer]] during early evolution has led to questions about [[monophyly]] of life. | ||
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| + | Universal common descent through an [[evolution]]ary process, that there was only one progenitor for all life forms, was first proposed by [[Charles Darwin]] in ''[[On the Origin of Species]]'', which ended with "There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one". The theory has been recently popularized by [[Richard Dawkins]], in ''[[The Ancestor's Tale]]'', and others. | ||
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| + | ==Evolution== | ||
| + | ;Overview | ||
| + | :[[Introduction to evolution]] | ||
| + | :[[Evolution]] | ||
| + | :[[Evolution as theory and fact]] | ||
| + | :[[Evolutionary history of life]] | ||
| + | :[[Timeline of evolution]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;History | ||
| + | :[[History of evolutionary thought]] | ||
| + | :[[Lamarckism]] | ||
| + | :[[Saltation (biology)|Saltationism]] | ||
| + | :[[Orthogenesis]] | ||
| + | :[[On the Origin of Species|''On the Origin of Species'']] | ||
| + | :[[Darwinism]] | ||
| + | :[[The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection|''The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection'']] | ||
| + | :[[Neo-Darwinism]] | ||
| + | :[[Modern evolutionary synthesis]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;Base concepts | ||
| + | :[[Heredity]] | ||
| + | :[[Fitness (biology)|Fitness]] | ||
| + | :[[Common descent]] | ||
| + | :[[Evidence of common descent]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;Mechanisms | ||
| + | :[[Adaptation]] | ||
| + | :[[Genetic drift]] | ||
| + | :[[Gene flow]] | ||
| + | :[[Mutation]] | ||
| + | :[[Natural selection]] | ||
| + | :[[Speciation]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;Phylogenetics | ||
| + | :[[Phylogenetics]] | ||
| + | :[[Cladistics]] | ||
| + | :[[Cladogram]] | ||
| + | :[[Molecular phylogenetics]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;Fields | ||
| + | :[[Evolutionary developmental biology]] | ||
| + | :[[Molecular evolution]] | ||
| + | :[[Human evolution]] | ||
| + | :[[Evolutionary psychology]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;Controversy and social impacts | ||
| + | :[[Creation–evolution controversy]] | ||
| + | :[[Objections to evolution]] | ||
| + | :[[Creationism]] | ||
| + | :[[Intelligent design]] | ||
| + | :[[Social effect of evolutionary theory]] | ||
| + | |||
| - | A theory of '''universal common descent''' based on [[evolution]]ary principles was proposed by [[Charles Darwin]] in his book ''[[On the Origin of Species]]'' (1859), and later in ''[[The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex|The Descent of Man]]'' (1871). | ||
| - | This theory is now generally accepted by biologists, and the [[last universal ancestor|last universal common ancestor]] (LUCA or LUA), that is, the [[most recent common ancestor]] of all currently living organisms, is believed to have appeared about [[Timeline of evolution|3.9 billion years ago]]. The theory of a common ancestor between all organisms is one of the principles of evolution, although for [[single cell organism]]s and [[virus]]es, single [[phylogeny]] is disputed (see: [[origin of life]]). | ||
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In evolutionary biology, a group of organisms share common descent if they have a common ancestor. There is strong evidence that all living organisms on Earth are descended from a common ancestor, called the last universal ancestor or LUA (or last universal common ancestor, LUCA).
Common ancestry between organisms of different species arises during speciation, in which new species are established from a single ancestral population. Organisms which share a more recent common ancestor are more closely related. The most recent common ancestor of all currently living organisms is the last universal ancestor, which lived about 3.9 billion years ago. Thus all currently living organisms on Earth share a common genetic heritage (universal common descent), with each being the descendant from a single original species, though the suggestion of substantial horizontal gene transfer during early evolution has led to questions about monophyly of life.
Universal common descent through an evolutionary process, that there was only one progenitor for all life forms, was first proposed by Charles Darwin in On the Origin of Species, which ended with "There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one". The theory has been recently popularized by Richard Dawkins, in The Ancestor's Tale, and others.
Evolution
- Overview
- Introduction to evolution
- Evolution
- Evolution as theory and fact
- Evolutionary history of life
- Timeline of evolution
- History
- History of evolutionary thought
- Lamarckism
- Saltationism
- Orthogenesis
- On the Origin of Species
- Darwinism
- The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection
- Neo-Darwinism
- Modern evolutionary synthesis
- Base concepts
- Heredity
- Fitness
- Common descent
- Evidence of common descent
- Phylogenetics
- Phylogenetics
- Cladistics
- Cladogram
- Molecular phylogenetics
- Fields
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Molecular evolution
- Human evolution
- Evolutionary psychology
- Controversy and social impacts
- Creation–evolution controversy
- Objections to evolution
- Creationism
- Intelligent design
- Social effect of evolutionary theory
