The book presents the most important topics in evolutionary biology and formal genetics. In concise chapters, the authors explain the significance of selection and chance for genetic diversity in populations. Additionally, methods for assessing the genetic identity of individuals and populations are described, and the search for genes in the genome is explained using family analyses. Chapters on general and formal genetics, epigenetics, and statistics provide the genetic framework and make the thought processes of scientifically grounded evolutionary theory accessible. The knowledge conveyed is a necessary prerequisite for understanding almost all biological processes.