How to Write a Paper on Evolution

Writing college term papers is something students have to do numerous times throughout their college careers. Instructors often give students set guidelines and topics to follow when preparing their papers. Information about species, survival and extinction are topics to include in your evolution paper. Knowing how to write a paper on evolution will help turn this writing assignment into a writing success. You instructor will tell you whether she wants you to use APA or MLA format.

Step 1

Give a brief introduction about evolution. Define what evolution means. Explain how things evolve. For example, "Evolution is the frequency of certain genes when genes change over generations, such as how dinosaurs looked and how reptiles look today." Give examples of how everything is connected -- from trees to birds to humans.

Step 2

Start the body of your evolution paper by informing your readers about the different types of species. Define what is a species and how they are formed. For example, "Species are creature that interbreed and, because of environmental factors, species take on different traits within the group." Give specific examples, such as differences and similarities among different birds. When explaining evolution, include a few basics topics: Darwinism, change, extinction and sex.

Step 3

Go into detail about how evolution works. Explain the evolution process to your readers. Your evolution paper will include why species are similar and different. Write about how inherited genes are passed onto other generations. Explain how natural selection plays a part in evolution. Show your readers through examples of how genetic variation and genetic drift are a part of evolution. Define all evolutionary terms. Also explain how co-evolution works and how some species influence others to evolve.

Step 4

Give examples. Once you have explained the evolution process, help your readers understand the topic more clearly. Start off by explaining small-scale scenarios of microevolution. For example, crickets have evolved by no longer being affected by certain pesticides, and some micro organisms are showing resistance to antibiotics. Some insects are turning into what is being called a "super bug."

Step 5

Write about evolution in the big scheme of things. Teach your readers about macroevolution. Explain how things have changed over generations on a large scale. For example, instead of looking at an individual type of beetle, step back and look at the tree and see the many different species of beetles that rely on the tree as part of their survival.

Step 6

Research current evolution theories and issues at the Public Broadcasting Station and Settled Science websites. List and address questions biologists are currently trying to answer about evolution. For example, biologists are researching a way to figure out whether evolution happens slowly, in quick jumps or steadily.