The NOVA Evolution Laboratory Is an Interactive Tour of the Tree of Life.
Whether you’re interested in biology, or just wondering what humans have in common with fungi, or how bacteria might be related to dinosaurs, the NOVA Evolution Lab is a crash course. You will learn how living things are connected, what DNA is and how it works, and hear the opinions of biologists working in this field.
Like the previously mentioned Cybersecurity Lab, the Evolution Lab is an interactive lesson that features games and exercises designed to help you study biology and learn a thing or two about the history of life on Earth. The interactive tree of life allows you to visually understand the relationships and common ancestors of various species, including plants and animals, as well as bacteria, fungi and other life forms. You can even build your own tree by choosing two animals that interest you most and see how – if at all – they are related and how far their relationship has come. Want to know how similar dogs are to dinosaurs? The lab will show you.
Both tools were developed as part of the Life on Earth Project of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Click the link below to try it all out – you’ll need to indicate which PBS station is closest to you, but after that just click Play Game to get started.
Evolution | NOVA Labs | PBS