/sci/ - Science & Math

So there are some people out there who still think that evolution is just a theory (a geuss). I am not one of them. Nonetheless, I've just come to the realization that I don't really understand how evolution works. I know that humans came from some homo primates that came from other primitive apes who probably came from hamsters which came from fish or whatever. Yet I don't understand the process required to elevate a being to the next excited state.

For instance, it's commonly believe that humans came out of the African continent. Most likely, they were all a similar color and composition. After they settled around the world, things changed. Humans in the northern colder, darker region became fair-skinned and hairy. Is that an example of evolution? I'm pretty sure it is not, for I've never heard it explained as such. But why not? What differentiates adaptation from evolution? What has to happen before you can scientifically claim that a being has evolved?