Common descent

The idea of common descent — that some individuals are related to each other by way of a common ancestor — is uncontroversial when applied to individuals of the same species. That it is true of individuals of different species is one of the central concepts of evolution as developed by Charles Darwin and others in the 19th century.

The idea of universal common descent — that all species of life on Earth developed, or descended, from a common ancestor — is now almost universally accepted by the scientific community. It is notably rejected by creationists, especially young-Earth creationists.