KEY TAKEAWAYS •
Darwin studied finches in the early 1800s and published his findings in the 1859 work entitled: On the Origin of Species.
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Darwin did not know about genes and heredity at the time but believed that natural selection is what created the different species.
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It is now believed that multiple things lead to evolution, including genetic drift, mutations, and natural selection.
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The first forms of life on earth started around 3.8 billion years ago.
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The first split in evolution came when bacteria and archaea evolved from a common ancestor.
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About 1.8 billion years ago, the first animals, plants, and fungi split off from a common ancestor.
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Humans came on the scene about 6 million years ago.
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