modern synthesis

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modern synthesis (neo-Darwinism) Darwin showed that evolution involves selection interacting with variation within populations, but he did not know that the bases of this variation are discrete units of heredity, or genes. This was discovered by Mendel. The fusion of Mendelian genetics and Darwin's natural selection is referred to as the modern synthesis. A further synthesis has been achieved in recent years with the incorporation of knowledge of evolution at the molecular level.

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