The Evolution Matters Lecture Series was launched in the fall of 2007 to educate the public about the common evolutionary themes that underlie all biological systems and to illustrate how these themes impact human health and development, as well as agriculture, the environment and the planet's biodiversity. The living world is made up of complex biological systems. At the level of the individual, the most complex of these systems is the human brain. But the process of evolution has produced even more complex systems, such as tropical reefs and rainforests, that are made up of millions of interacting species. How has this complexity evolved?

Recent advances in our understanding of evolution have revealed important genetic and ecological processes that all these complex systems have in common. Each of the five 45-minute lectures in the series addresses a key aspect of evolution and is presented by a noted scientist with UC San Diego. The series also aims to provide San Diego middle and high school science teachers and students with innovative resource material for classroom instruction on the topic of evolutionary biology that illustrates basic scientific principles and that demonstrates the relevance and application of these principles to their students.

Support for the Evolution Matters Lecture Series is provided in part by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Kirin Pharma, the UCSD Division of Biological Sciences, and UCSD-TV.

Teachers and Students: We'd like to know what you think of this web site, how you're using it and how we can improve it. Send your comments to Associate Dean of Education, Gabriele Wienhausen.