Final answer:
Living things today and in the past are the result of millions of years of evolution. Evolution is the change in characteristics of living things over time and occurs through natural selection. The diversity of life on Earth today is the result of evolution and adaptation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evolution is a change in the characteristics of living things over time. All living things that exist today and in the past are the result of millions of years of evolution. Evolution occurs through a process called natural selection, where organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to pass those traits to the next generation. This leads to major changes in the characteristics of species over many generations. The diversity of life on Earth today is a result of evolution and the adaptation of organisms to their changing environments.