Evolution is the process of biological change over time. Such changes, especially at the genetic level are accomplished by a complex set of evolutionary mechanisms that act to increase or decrease genetic variation.

Evolutionary theory is the cornerstone of modern biology, and unites all the fields of biology under one theoretical umbrella to explain the changes in any given gene pool of a population over time. Evolutionary theory is theory in the scientific usage of the word. It is more than a hypothesis; there is an abundance of observational and experimental data to support the theory and its subtle variations. These variations in the interpretation of the role of various evolutionary mechanisms are due to the fact that all theories, no matter how highly useful or cherished, are subject to being discarded or modified when verifiable data demand such revision. Biological evolutionary theory is compatible with...