EXHIBITION
Evolution in Action
How Diversity Emerges and Evolves
The Diversity of Life on Earth
How did the incredible diversity of life on our planet arise? Why do animals and plants look the way they do – and how do they change over time? In the exhibition Evolution in Action, you will find answers to these questions.
The exhibition shows how evolution works and how it continues to shape life today. Using selected species as examples, it becomes clear that evolution is not a completed chapter of Earth’s history, but an ongoing process that continues every day.
At its core is the idea formulated more than 160 years ago by the British naturalist Charles Darwin: all living beings are related and have evolved over millions of years from common ancestors. This insight fundamentally changed our understanding of nature. To this day, scientists – including those at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin – continue to study the relationships of all life.
With historical display cases from 1889, the exhibition connects past and present in a striking way. The carefully restored cabinets, once part of the scientific collection, now demonstrate that evolution was, is, and remains visible everywhere.
Around 3,000 animal specimens form a panorama of biodiversity – from corals to the clouded leopard.
Photo: Verena Brüning
The thylacine – also known as the Tasmanian tiger – was a predator and at the same time a marsupial. The species became extinct in 1936 due to human persecution.
Photo: Hwa Ja Götz
The quagga, once widespread in large herds in southern Africa, was exterminated in the 19th century.
Photo: Carola Radke
Zebras are among the closest living relatives of the extinct quagga.
Photo: Carola Radke
What is evolution?
Evolution describes the ongoing change of life on Earth. For billions of years, living organisms have changed, adapted to new environments, developed new traits – or disappeared.
This process is driven by changes in genetic material and natural selection. Individuals that are better adapted to their environment have greater chances of survival and reproduction. Over time, this leads to the emergence of new forms, species, and ecosystems.
Today, probably less than one percent of all species that have ever lived on our planet still exist. Throughout Earth’s history, there have been repeated dramatic turning points – the so-called five mass extinctions, during which more than 60 percent of species disappeared in a relatively short time.
We are currently experiencing a sixth major extinction event. The Anthropocene – the age of humans – is profoundly changing life on Earth. Researchers at the museum study how species respond to these changes – and what this means for our shared future on this planet.
Charles Darwin laid the foundation with his theory of evolution for understanding the diversity of life – from common ancestors to the mechanisms that continue to shape species today.
Photo: Thomas Rosenthal
The jaguar is the largest big cat in the Americas and an example of how big cats have evolved from common ancestors into distinct species.
Photo: Carola Radke
The dark fur color of the panther results from a genetic variation (melanism).
Photo: Carola Radke
The lion, like the tiger and the jaguar, belongs to the big cats with common ancestors – today it shows as a distinct species how evolution adapts to different environments.
Photo: Carola Radke
Biodiversity Wall – Diversity at a Glance?
Behind a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, the Biodiversity Wall displays more than 3,000 animal specimens – from corals to the clouded leopard. It makes visible how diverse and interconnected life on Earth is.
As a showcase of the collection and an artistic installation, it connects research and aesthetics. Each object represents a fragment of biological diversity – from insects to fish and birds to mammals.
At the museum’s Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, we explore the diversity of life using, among other methods, robotics and AI. Modern technologies help to better understand species-rich and often overlooked groups such as insects, as well as to identify and describe new species more quickly.
The wall shows only a fraction of biodiversity. Many animal species, plants, fungi, microorganisms, genetic diversity, and entire ecosystems remain invisible – even though they are just as fundamental for stable ecosystems. Moreover, a large proportion of the species on our planet is still unknown – and with it their significance for our shared survival.
We therefore also understand the Biodiversity Wall as an invitation to think further: biodiversity as a shared treasure, a responsibility, and a task for the future.
The Biodiversity Wall highlights how closely all life is interconnected and why this diversity forms the foundation of our existence.
Photo: Antje Dittrich
