Awesome Evolution

A curated list of awesome Evolution resources. Please feel free to contribute!

Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as genetic drift and natural selection act on genetic variation, resulting in certain characteristics becoming more or less common within a population over successive generations. The process of evolution has given rise to biodiversity at every level of biological organisation.

This list focuses on collecting and sharing information about biological evolution and the sciences that support it. Since this topic can be controversial for some groups of people, there will necessarily be content here that explores that controversy and clarifies the differences between natural sciences and the supernatural.

Evolutionary Science and Related Sites
Human Origins
Evolution Blogs
Science and Evolution Communicators
Recommended Books
Curated Papers
Research Labs
Genome Mapping Projects
Genome Browsers / Gene Diagrams
Related Awesomes
Link Checking
License

Understanding Science - Understanding Science 101 - This site is a project of the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP). Learn what science is, how it works, and how it connects to your life.
Understanding Evolution - Evolution 101 - This site is a project of the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP). What is evolution and how does it work? Evolution 101 provides the nuts-and-bolts on the patterns and mechanisms of evolution.
Human Evolution - Natural History Museum - The Natural History Museum’s human evolution hub provides an accessible overview of our species’ history, tracking major anatomical and cultural milestones from the dawn of bipedalism to modern Homo sapiens. Through expert articles and fossil highlights, the page examines how changing environments shaped ancient hominin lineages and explores the cutting-edge DNA research used to trace human origins.
OneZoom - OneZoom is a visual masterpiece of computational biology. It provides an interactive, fractal-based, dynamic map of the evolutionary relationships between over 2.2 million living species.
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory - With support from more than 30 countries, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) has more than 110 independent research groups and service teams covering the spectrum of molecular biology at six sites in Barcelona, Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg, EMBL-EBI Hinxton, and Rome.
National Academies of Sciences (Evolution Resources) - As the premier scientific advisory body in the United States, the National Academies provide a definitive, authoritative resource hub validating the foundational role of evolution in modern science.

Human Origins

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - Maintained by the National Museum of Natural History, this is arguably the single most comprehensive and interactive portal on human prehistory available online.
AfricanFossils.org - Created in collaboration with the Leakey Foundation and the National Museums of Kenya, this unique digital laboratory acts as a virtual anthropology museum.
Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins - AMNH - The AMNH pairs its legendary world-class physical exhibit with a robust online learning platform that blends genomic science with paleoanthropology.
fossilized.org - If you want to approach human prehistory from a geographic and archaeological standpoint, this mapping engine provides an interactive global satellite map pinning the precise coordinates where major hominin fossils and ancient stone tools have been unearthed.

Evolution Blogs

Dr. Jon Peters’ Evolution Blog - Truthful Origins - Dr. Peters completed a BS in Zoology from Arizona State University, an MS in Biology from Northern Arizona University, an MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and was awarded the degree of Fellow by the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2007.
Barry Desborough’s Answers in Reality - A collection of articles on life, the universe and everything, mostly concerning evolved human nature and what we can do about it.
Stated Clearly - To promote critical thinking and a love for exploration by introducing the public to the scientific process. We do this through information‑rich animations that explain scientific topics with friendly language and illustrations.
Sandwalk - Strolling with a skeptical biochemist - Larry Moran is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto. Professor Moran deep dives into population genetics and molecular evolution.
John Hawks – John Hawks Weblog - Dr. John Hawks is a world-renowned paleoanthropologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. If your interest in evolution leans toward human origins, transitional fossils, and ancient DNA, Hawks’ blog is unmatched.
Carl Zimmer - Author and science journalist for the New York Times with a strong focus on macroevolution, the intricacies of viral evolution (including endogenous retroviruses), and how parasites shape the tree of life.
Matthew Herron - Website of evolutionary biologist Matthew Herron, Ph.D. Dr. Herron is an evolutionary biologist and Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Idaho. His research focuses on experimental evolution, microbial ecology, and the evolution of multicellularity.
Panda’s Thumb - The Panda’s Thumb is a massive collective of highly popular evolutionary biologists, mathematicians, and paleontologists (such as Nick Matzke, Wesley Elsberry, and various NCSE members). This is arguably the most influential group-run evolution blog on the web.
Talk Origins Archive - Talk.origins is a Usenet newsgroup devoted to the discussion and debate of biological and physical origins. Most discussions in the newsgroup center on the creation/evolution controversy, but other topics of discussion include the origin of life, geology, biology, catastrophism, cosmology, and theology.

Science and Evolution Communicators

AronRa - Aron Ra is an author, public speaker, and science communicator who serves as one of the most prominent advocates for evolutionary education on the web. His series “The Systematic Classification of Life” serves as an exhaustive, multi-part masterclass that tracks the human evolutionary lineage from single-celled eukaryotic organisms all the way to Homo sapiens, providing an uncompromised defense of common descent.
Gutsick Gibbon - Content on Biological Anthropology - Outstanding content from Erica, a current PhD student in Biological Anthropology, concerning primates, general zoology, paleontology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology!
The Common Descent Podcast - Run by professional paleontologists and educators, this digital hub bridges the gap between deep time fossil records and modern evolutionary genetics.
PBS Eons - Join hosts Kallie Moore, Michelle Barboza-Ramirez, Gabriel Santos, and Blake de Pastino as they take you on a journey through the history of life on Earth. From the dawn of life in the Archaean Eon through the Mesozoic Era — the so-called “Age of Dinosaurs” — right up to the end of the most recent Ice Age.

Recommended Books

Human Evolution: Genes, Genealogies and Phylogenies - Dr. Graeme Finlay is a retired Senior Lecturer in scientific pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, and Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, at the University of Auckland. The human genome project and genetic sequencing of many other species have provided myriad precise and unambiguous genetic markers that establish our evolutionary relationships with other mammals.
The Selfish Gene: 50th Anniversary Edition - Richard Dawkins’ brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands of readers to rethink their beliefs about life.
Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body - Neil Shubin is the author of the best-selling Your Inner Fish, which was chosen by the National Academy of Sciences as the best book of the year in 2009. Trained at Columbia, Harvard, and the University of California at Berkeley, Shubin is associate dean of biological sciences at the University of Chicago. In 2011 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Why Evolution Is True - Jerry A. Coyne dispels common misunderstandings and fears about evolution and clearly confirms the scientific truth that supports this amazing process of change. Weaving together the many threads of modern work in genetics, paleontology, geology, molecular biology, and anatomy that demonstrate the “indelible stamp” of the processes first proposed by Charles Darwin.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution - In this book, Richard Dawkins presents the evidence for evolution in a way that is accessible to the general public. He explains how natural selection works and provides numerous examples from the natural world to illustrate the power of evolutionary processes.

Curated Papers

Curated Sub-Awesomes

Awesome ERV List - A curated list of research papers and resources on endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which are viral sequences that have integrated into the genomes of their host organisms over evolutionary time. This list includes seminal papers on the use of ERVs to reconstruct primate phylogenies, as well as recent studies on the origin and evolution of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in primates.
Awesome Genetics List - A curated list of research papers and resources on genetics, including studies on the phylogenetic relationships among cetartiodactyls (a group of mammals that includes whales and hippos) and the role of molecular adaptations in the aquatic transition of cetartiodactyl mammals.
Awesome Fossils List - A curated list of research papers and resources on fossils, including studies on major transitional form fossils such as Tiktaalik roseae, which provides important insights into the evolution of tetrapod limbs from fish fins.
Awesome Macroevolution List - A curated list of research papers and resources on macroevolution, including studies on the evolution of antifreeze proteins in polar ice fish and the role of the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B in promoting basal progenitor amplification and neocortex expansion.

PLOS (Public Library of Science)

PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy and practice.

PLOS is a mission-driven open science publisher covering all scientific disciplines with a focus on fundamental and applied research across life, health, sustainability, engineering, and technology.

Evolutionary Biology - PLOS ONE is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS) since 2006. PLOS ONE accepts research in all areas of science and medicine, including evolutionary biology.
PLOS Biology: Evolutionary Biology - PLOS Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of biology, including evolutionary biology. It is published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS) since 2003.
PLOS Genetics: Evolutionary Biology - PLOS Genetics is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of genetics, including evolutionary biology. It is published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS) since 2005.

eLife Sciences - eLife is a non-profit organization that aims to accelerate discovery by operating a platform for research communication and engagement in the life and biomedical sciences. It publishes research articles, reviews, and other content related to evolutionary biology.
Oxford Academic: Evolution - International Journal of Organic Evolution - Oxford Academic is a platform that provides access to a wide range of academic journals, including those related to evolutionary biology. It offers research articles, reviews, and other content in the field of evolutionary biology.
PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes research articles, reviews, and other content related to evolutionary biology. It is published by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and covers a wide range of scientific disciplines, including evolutionary biology.
Springer Nature: BMC Ecology and Evolution - BMC Ecology and Evolution is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that welcomes research across all aspects of ecological and evolutionary biology, including population genetics, conservation genetics, phylogenetics, behavioural ecology, population ecology, macroecology, palaeontology, biodiversity, theoretical research and ecological and evolutionary developmental biology.
Proceedings of the Royal Society - The Proceedings of the Royal Society is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society, covering all aspects of biology, including evolutionary biology. It publishes research articles, reviews, and other content related to evolutionary biology.
bioRXiv: Evolutionary Biology - bioRxiv is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences. It allows researchers to share their findings with the scientific community before formal peer review and publication, including research in evolutionary biology.

Search

PubMed - PubMed is a free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez system of information retrieval.
Semantic Scholar - Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. It uses machine learning and natural language processing to help researchers find relevant information quickly and efficiently.
Google Scholar - Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. It provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature, including articles, theses, books, conference papers, and patents.

Research Labs

Ratcliff Lab @ Georgia Tech - The Ratcliff Lab at Georgia Tech focuses on the evolution of multicellularity, using experimental evolution to study the transition from unicellular to multicellular life forms. Their research explores the genetic and phenotypic changes that occur during this transition, providing insights into the evolutionary processes that drive the emergence of complex multicellular organisms.
Rainey Lab (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology) - The Rainey Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology focuses on experimental evolution and microbial ecology. Their research explores the evolution of cooperation, social behavior, and the emergence of multicellularity in microbial populations.
Barrick Lab - Michigan State University - The Barrick Lab at Michigan State University focuses on experimental evolution, microbial genomics, and the study of adaptive evolution in bacteria. Their research investigates the genetic basis of adaptation, the dynamics of microbial populations, and the role of horizontal gene transfer in shaping bacterial genomes.

Genome Mapping Projects

Massive-scale, multi-species genome sequencing projects are reshaping our understanding of comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and common descent. Often described as “biological moonshots,” these initiatives aim to map out everything from specialized animal branches to every complex organism on the planet.

The most prominent global consortia and projects actively mapping genomes across vast numbers of species include the following:

Large Scale Genome Sequencing Projects

The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) - The EBP is the ultimate global network coordination effort. Its stated mission is to sequence, catalog, and characterize the genomes of all 1.67 million known eukaryotic species (plants, animals, fungi, and single-celled protozoa).
The Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP) - An explicit sub-project under the EBP umbrella, the VGP aims to generate near-flawless, error-free, chromosome-level reference genome assemblies for all ~70,000 extant vertebrate species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish).
Genomes on a Tree (GoaT) - A specialized data portal used directly by the EBP and Darwin Tree of Life to inventory genome metadata, track current sequencing statuses, and catalog live assembly statistics across the global tree of life.
The Bat1K Project - A specialized consortium focused on sequencing the genomes of all ~1,400 living bat species.
Project Psyche - A massive European effort specifically targeting the order Lepidoptera. Project Psyche aims to sequence the genomes of all 11,000 moth and butterfly species across Europe.

Regional Biota Mapping

The Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) - Based out of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, this massive operation is specifically focused on sequencing the genetic code of every single complex life eukaryotic form native to Great Britain and Ireland.
European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) - A pan-European scientific network creating a collaborative infrastructure to generate reference-quality genomes across thousands of threatened, endemic, or ecologically pivotal European species.

Plant, Fungi, & Symbiosis Networks

The 10,000 Plant Genomes Project (10KP) - An international initiative spearheaded by BGI (Beijing Genomics Institute) and global botanical partners aiming to sequence 10,000 plant species covering every major lineage of land plants and algae. This library provides a deep evolutionary view into how plant life transitioned from aquatic environments to terrestrial landscapes.
The 1000 Fungal Genomes Project (1KFG) - Run by the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI), this project is focused on mapping representative genomes across the entire kingdom of Fungi. It aims to fill deep gaps in the fungal tree of life to better map out carbon cycling, plant-fungal symbiotic relationships, and industrial enzyme discovery.

Long-Term Evolution Experiments

The Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) - The Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) is a landmark study in experimental evolution, initiated by Dr. Richard Lenski in 1988. The experiment involves the continuous cultivation of 12 populations of Escherichia coli bacteria over tens of thousands of generations, allowing researchers to observe evolutionary changes in real-time and investigate the dynamics of adaptation, mutation, and genetic drift.
Multicellularity Long-Term Evolution Experiment (MuLTEE) - The Multicellularity Long-Term Evolution Experiment (MuLTEE) is a landmark study in experimental evolution, initiated by Dr. William C. Ratcliff in 2012. The experiment involves the continuous cultivation of yeast populations under controlled conditions for over 10 years, allowing researchers to observe evolutionary changes in real-time and investigate the dynamics of adaptation, mutation, and genetic drift.
Illinois Long-term Selection Experiment - The Illinois Long-term Selection Experiment is a long-running maize (corn) selection program begun by Cyril G. Hopkins at the University of Illinois in 1896, selecting for kernel oil and protein content and providing a unique window into evolutionary responses to sustained artificial selection.
Related Studies Without Known Online Presence
- The “Dark-Fly” Experiment (Kyoto University)
  - Timeline: 1954–Present (>70 years, 1,500+ generations).
  - Organism: Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).
  - Focus & Discoveries: Initiated by Syuichi Mori, fly populations have been reared in total, continuous darkness. Genome sequencing revealed over 200,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and structural mutations, leading to adaptive shifts in olfactory receptor genes, altered circadian behaviors, and higher reproductive fitness in dark environments compared to ancestral controls.
- The Russian Fox Domestication Experiment (Institute of Cytology & Genetics)
  - Timeline: 1959–Present (>65 years, 60+ generations).
  - Organism: Silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes).
  - Focus & Discoveries: Initiated by Dmitry Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut to identify the genetic and hormonal basis of domestication. Selecting exclusively for tameness toward humans inadvertently triggered the “domestication syndrome”—floppy ears, rolled tails, piebald coats, lowered basal cortisol, altered cranial proportions, and prolonged juvenile behavioral windows.
- The Rose Lab Drosophila Longevity Lines (UC Irvine)
  - Timeline: 1981–Present (>40 years, 1,000+ generations).
  - Organism: Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).
  - Focus & Discoveries: Michael Rose selected flies by collecting eggs exclusively from the oldest surviving individuals of each generation. The lines evolved up to quadrupled lifespans, increased stress resistance, and late-life mortality plateaus, providing foundational experimental validation for evolutionary theories of aging and antagonistic pleiotropy.
- The Desai Lab High-Throughput Yeast Evolution Experiment (Harvard University)
  - Timeline: 2010s–Present (10,000+ generations).
  - Organism: Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
  - Focus & Discoveries: Michael Desai’s lab uses automated liquid handlers and DNA barcoding to evolve hundreds of independent haploid and diploid yeast lines simultaneously. This massive parallelism maps the geometry of fitness landscapes, demonstrating pervasive diminishing-returns epistasis (where beneficial mutations provide smaller fitness gains in fitter backgrounds) and widespread clonal interference.
- The Trinidadian Guppy Evolution Project (UC Riverside / David Reznick)
  - Timeline: 1980s–Present (40+ years in natural stream ecosystems).
  - Organism: Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata).
  - Focus & Discoveries: A long-term experimental evolution study conducted in natural field environments. By transplanting guppies between high-predation downstream sites and low-predation upstream barrier pools, researchers proved that life-history traits (age at maturity, brood size, offspring investment, and male coloration) evolve by natural selection in real time over ecological timescales.

Genome Browsers / Gene Diagrams

Quick Tip for Getting Started

If you just want to explore a gene (for example, looking at the human FOXP2 language gene or checking out endogenous retrovirus integration sites), go to the UCSC Genome Browser, type the gene symbol into the search box, and hit enter. The horizontal track layout will immediately give you a visual sense of where exons, introns, and mutations live.

Online Multi-Species Browsers

These are the gold standards of the bioinformatics community, hosting massive repositories of pre-computed genomic data across thousands of species.

UCSC Genome Browser - Developed by the University of California, Santa Cruz, this is arguably the most famous and widely utilized genome browser in the world.
Ensembl Genome Browser - A joint project between EMBL-EBI and the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Ensembl focuses heavily on high-quality annotation, particularly for vertebrate genomes.
NCBI Genome Data Viewer (NCBI) - The NCBI is a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It houses a massive collection of genomic data, including the GenBank database, which contains annotated collections of publicly available DNA sequences. Genome Data Viewer integrates seamlessly with the broader NCBI/PubMed ecosystem.
UCSC Primates Genomes Assembly Hubs - The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Genome Browser hosts a collection of genome assembly hubs for various primate species. These hubs provide access to high-quality genome assemblies and annotations for researchers studying primate evolution and comparative genomics.
Primate Genome-phenome Archive - The Primate Genome-phenome Archive (PG-Archive) is a specialized repository for primate genomic and phenotypic data. It aims to facilitate research on primate evolution, genetics, and disease by providing access to comprehensive datasets.

Specialized Model Organism Browsers

If you are doing research focused on specific branches of life, generic browsers can sometimes be cluttered. Specialized portals use tailored frameworks to display specific evolutionary lines:

FlyBase - The premier genetic and genomic database for Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies).
WormBase - Dedicated entirely to the biology and genomics of Caenorhabditis elegans and related nematodes.
TAIR (The Arabidopsis Information Resource) - The standard gateway for plant genomics, focusing on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
SGD (Saccharomyces Genome Database) - The ultimate portal for budding yeast genomics, highly relevant for studying basic eukaryotic cell evolution.
LTEE Genome Browser - A specialized genome browser for the Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) with E. coli, providing access to genomic data and evolutionary insights from this landmark study.

Next-Gen Web Browsers (For Custom/Local Data)

If you have your own data files (like .bam, .vcf, .bed, or .bigWig) and want a modern, fast interface to visualize them online without uploading them to a public server, these tools run locally in your web client.

IGV-Web (Integrative Genomics Viewer) - Developed by the Broad Institute, IGV is a legendary desktop tool that now features a highly optimized web-app version.
JBrowse 2 Web Demo - JBrowse is an open-source, next-generation browser built entirely on modern JavaScript/HTML5.
Lucid Align - A modern sequence alignment viewer. Fast performance & intuitive navigation help you focus on the science.

Link Checking

The URL check workflow scans Markdown files recursively. To exclude links or paths from checks, update the .lycheeignore file in the repository root.