evolutionary biology

noun

: a discipline of biology concerned with the processes and patterns of biological evolution especially in relation to the diversity of organisms and how they change over time
Speciation still remains one of the biggest mysteries in evolutionary biology.Bob Holmes
see evolutionary developmental biology
evolutionary biologist noun

Examples of evolutionary biology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The study provides a glimpse into a crucial time and place for which there haven’t been samples before, according to Iosif Lazaridis, a research associate in the department of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 July 2025 His writing is filled with clear and interesting thought experiments, allowing anyone to grasp his theories, which span from philosophy, cognitive science and evolutionary biology to farming, sailing, and religion. Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025 In evolutionary biology, a spandrel is in a way the same – a formation that exists as a byproduct of some other dominant aspect of structure. Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 7 June 2025 Marc Bekoff, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado and author of a number of books on animal welfare, rights and behavior, takes a more upbeat view of the laws. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for evolutionary biology

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evolutionary biology was in 1876

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evolutionary biology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evolutionary%20biology. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!