evolutionists

Evolutionists are scientists who study evolution or who accept the theory that biological populations change over generations through heritable variation and differential reproduction. The term has been used in public discourse to refer to proponents of evolution and to researchers in evolutionary biology, paleontology, genetics, and related fields.

Historically, the theory of evolution emerged in the 19th century with Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, who proposed natural selection as a mechanism by which advantageous traits become more common. In the early 20th century, the Modern Synthesis integrated Darwinian natural selection with Mendelian genetics, producing a unified framework for explaining how evolution operates at the level of genes, individuals, and populations. Advances in molecular biology and genomics in the late 20th and early 21st centuries further refined the understanding of evolutionary processes.

Evolutionary theory covers several core processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow, as well as phenomena such as sexual selection and gene duplication. Researchers study these processes using fossil records, comparative anatomy, developmental biology, population genetics, phylogenetics, and experimental evolution.

In public and philosophical contexts, the term evolutionist can carry ideological connotations, and some scientists prefer the descriptor evolutionary biologist or researcher in evolutionary biology to emphasize a research focus rather than a general belief. The scientific consensus holds that evolution has occurred and continues to shape the diversity of life, supported by diverse lines of evidence across disciplines.