Over 150 years ago, Darwin chose the tree of life as a metaphor for one of the most powerful ideas in biology: the relatedness of all living things. The power of that idea can be seen today in the ubiquity of evolutionary trees (also called phylogenetic trees) in all biological disciplines, from studies of newly discovered species to cutting-edge cancer research. Correspondingly, evolutionary trees have made their way into textbooks, museum exhibits, and the media. To understand modern biology, we all need to understand how evolutionary trees can be read and used.

The Tree Room provides a wide variety of tools for teaching and learning about evolutionary trees in both classrooms and informal science education settings. You can explore the following sections:

• Primer — Learn the basics about understanding evolutionary trees. If you are not very familiar with trees, you’ll want to start here.
• Misinterpretations and intuitive ideas about evolutionary trees — Find out how evolutionary trees are commonly misinterpreted.
• Field guide to trees— Confused by a complicated tree from a textbook or the Web? Use our interactive guide to help unpack it.
• How to build a tree — Learn about the methods that scientists use to reconstruct evolutionary history.
• Trees matter — Discover the many practical applications of evolutionary trees.
• For teachers — Get quick tips for incorporating trees into your classroom and browse a special selection of lessons for teaching about trees.
• For museums and zoos — Find design tips and other tools to help you effectively incorporate trees into your exhibit.