describe the major trends in the evolution of animals?

Answer 1

1) Mutation:
such as the mixture of dogs that are not pure breed.

2) Adaption
Like how some animals adapt to their enviroment. Polar bears are slowly adapting to global warming. Orcawhales are adapting to survive by hunting seals near the shores.

3) Gene Flow
Also know as migration. It is the exchange of genetic variation between populations. I can't give an example of animals, but an easy example will be humans that migrate to various countries in thw world. In the United STates, there are caucasians, Asians, Middle-Eastern, Orientals.....

4) Speciation and Extinction
Speciation: the process by which new biological species arise. Usually does not happen with animals, but are common in plants.
Extinction: The dissapearance of species or gene pools. Such as the dinasaours, and less than a century ago, the dodo birds

Answer 2

Cell -> Colonies-> eukaryote plasms -> aquatics -> amphibians -> reptiles-> mammals -> birds -> Apes -> Some puny dimwit who proudly declares himself to be 'man'.