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

In Bisbee, Arizona, one scientist who has spent his career studying evolutionary biology and ecology is tracking a 3-million-year-old lizard population dying at one of the fastest rates ever recorded. —Grace Manthey, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024

Marius keeps getting in the way, especially since his death (and public dismemberment at the zoo) feels of a different kind than the discussions Kestner ends up having with experts on evolutionary biology and cellular consciousness. —Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024

Delve into the evolutionary biology and anthropology behind this phenomenon to understand its profound impact on human behavior, relationships, and societal dynamics, offering a nuanced view of human evolutionary adaptations. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024

Then, there are inherent limits to the researchers’ genetic analyses, says Natalie Hofmeister, an assistant professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Michigan who wasn’t involved in the new study. —Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024

Some of this sounds contradictory to the classical notion of evolutionary biology where everything is just about selfish survival. —Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024

Now a new analysis, using techniques borrowed from evolutionary biology, has come down in favor of the latter, albeit with an important later role for the steppes. —Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024

The other day on the nation’s number one podcast on Spotify, Rogan had on a frequent guest, Bret Weinstein, a former professor of evolutionary biology. —Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024

In contrast, the top-down method looks at modern animals and tries to trace their evolutionary biology to life’s early days. —Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above