Does evolution mean changing from one species to another or just change?

Question

the humans they have uncovered that lived thousands of years ago are shorter with smaller feet, compared to todays humans,, is this evolution

Answer 1

Yes. Evolution is the change in allele frequency over time in a population. That leads to the morphological changes you were speaking. As a above poster suggested, gene flow between populations keeps the species as one large gene pool, encompassing the local populational gene pools. Evolution is the fact, while the theory of evolution by natural selection explains the main mechanism of this fact.

Answer 2

Evolution means a change in a population over time. As for humans, there's been enough mixing that changes in one population are transferred to other populations so that we've remained the same species, albeit a changed species.

Answer 3

Evolution means adaptation to the environment over time.

It is the methodology of that adaptation which has become contentious in science and theology.  Does the adaptation result from natural selection or intelligent design or a combination of both?  That is the question.

Answer 4

As someone has already pointed out - evolution is a change in the allele frequency of a population -

what that means is that the frequency of particular traits changes over time to a point where the physical appearance begins to change.  This is different from speciation which is where a species has changed so much, that it can no longer breed and produce fertile offspring with its previous form.  For example - there are many types of housecats - but they can all still breed succesfully, however while lions and tiger are both big cats, and can actually produce offspring (a liger) the offspring is infertile (same for donkeys and horses producing mules) - therefore they are a different species.

As for the size of humans - while part of it may be attributable to evolution (smaller body size being more adaptive in certain areas/times) it is also partially related to nutrition.  Physical appearance is the result of a complex mix of genetics and environment.  The genetic side sets limits which are then acted upon by the environment.  for example - if identical twins are separated at birth and raised in two very different environments, they may end up looking very different.

Answer 5

EVOLUTION IS JUST CHANGE IN THE PHYSICAL AND MAYBE MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS BUT THE SPECIES DOES NOT CHANGE.