That ancient tree of life never gets old! I came across a nice interactive visualization of the tree of life, created by the Wellcome Institute. It is one of the best attempts at visualizing the tree on the internet I’ve seen to date. Clicking on species at the end of the edges of the tree will lead to extra information about that species, sometimes including 3D models (I feel a bit more info could have been included). Now, if you click a second species, the tree will show you the relationship between the two species and at what level of the tree their last common ancestor is located. From that point on, it’s possible to create a subtree, making it easier to explore which species evolved from the ancestral species.
Cats and Dogs don't mix too well nowadays; in the past they shared a common ancestor
Accompanying the tree, Sir David Attenborough features in a video chronicling life’s history. The video doesn’t go into the mechanisms by which evolution works, doesn’t go into large parts of the tree (plants anyone?) but is still amazing for its excellent graphics and narration. Well, just see for yourself:
(via Evolving Thoughts)
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