The Tree of Life – Evolution Poster of All Life on Earth

The whole story of life on Earth on one wall. This Tree of Life poster traces every major branch of evolution, from LUCA, the last universal common ancestor of all living things, to bacteria, archaea, plants, fungi, animals and us. 226 organisms and 93 branching points, each one placed by family relationship, so you can follow the line from any species back to the very first cell. Highlights Four billion years of evolution in one connected, crossing-free tree 226 organisms across all six major groups: bacteria, archaea, protists, plants, fungi and animals 63 extinct species, from trilobites and T. rex to the woolly mammoth and the dodo, shown as scientific life reconstructions Human evolution in context: humans, Neanderthals, Homo erectus, Lucy and our great-ape cousins Viruses shown apart, with their own family tree, because they are not living organisms Key milestones and the Big Five mass extinctions on a timeline along the bottom Why it stands out Most tree of life posters are a few dozen icons on a fan. This one is built from real phylogenetic data, researched and fact-checked against current science: who branched from whom, and roughly when. Branches are short and never cross, so the eye can travel from a blue whale back to its land-dwelling ancestor Pakicetus, or from a mushroom to the surprising truth that fungi are closer relatives of animals than of plants. What you will find on it The microbial world: bacteria and archaea at the root, and the Asgard archaea from which complex cells (eukaryotes) arose Plants and algae: from red and green algae to mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants such as the giant sequoia and the sacred lotus Fungi: moulds, yeasts, lichens and mushrooms, from penicillin mould to the fly agaric Animals: sponges, jellyfish, insects, molluscs, fish, amphibians, reptiles, dinosaurs, birds and mammals Extinct life: recognisable at a glance by its black-and-white portrait and a † next to the name A great gift for science lovers, biology teachers and students, curious kids, and anyone who has ever wondered how a tardigrade, an oak tree and a human are related. Specifications Frame: depends on selection (framed options include frame, backing and plexiglass front) Size(s): depends on variant selected; every size is printed edge to edge with no white bars Premium Quality Matte Paper Ultra High-Resolution Print (300 dpi) Language: English Frequently Asked Questions Where is it made and where does it ship from? For Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia and most EU countries, this poster is printed locally and ships domestically with premium services such as Purolator (Canada), Fedex (USA), Parcelforce (UK), PSP Logistics (Australia). We are committed to local businesses. You support your communities buying from us. What is the material? We use industry-leading Premium Museum Quality Matte Paper. You will love how it brings out the colours and details while remaining very resistant. Is the packaging protective enough? Yes! Package protection is key for posters. We first place the poster in a sturdy tube, then protect the tube inside a long triangular hard-paper box. If there is ever any transit damage, just get in touch with us and we will find a solution! Is the text clear enough? Extremely clear! The print file is 7200 x 10800 pixels (over 77 million pixels), so even the smallest scientific names stay crisp, even on the largest size. How accurate is it? The tree follows current scientific consensus on how the major groups of life are related. Evolutionary science keeps moving, and some branches are still debated; where that is the case, we followed the most widely accepted view. Frames details (if option selected): Image credits (click to expand) Photographs are used under their open licences (CC BY, CC0 or public domain), with thanks to the photographers. The 78 other illustrations, including all life reconstructions of extinct species, were created by Things of the Stars. African baobab: Robert Taylor, CC BY, via iNaturalist African bush elephant: Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons African trypanosome: Sue Vaughan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Amborella: Scott Zona from USA (original upload author), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ammonites: Natural History Museum of Gagliole, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Anomalocaris: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Anthrax bacterium: CDC, uploaded by en:User:MarcoTolo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Archaea: Noor MAF, Parnell RS, Grant BS, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Archaefructus: Jonathan Chen, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Archaeopteris: User:Daderot (modified by User:Kontos), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Atlantic horseshoe crab: Kaldari, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Atlantic salmon: Hartley, William W., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Bacteriophage T4: DavidGoodsell, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Bacteroidetes: Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. V.R. Dowell, Jr., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Baker's yeast: Masur, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Bats: Justin Philbois, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Belemnites: équipe des Fouilles du MnhnL, CC0, via GBIF Black bread mould: S.R., CC BY 4.0, via GBIF Blastoids: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Blue dragon: Taro Taylor from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Blue sea star: © Anne Hoggett, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Blue whale: NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Bornean orangutan: Ltshears, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Botulism bacterium: Content Providers: CDC, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Button mushroom: Alan Rockefeller, CC BY, via iNaturalist Calamites: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Chambered nautilus: J. Baecker, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Chimpanzee: Wairambar Rainforest, CC BY, via iNaturalist Chlamydia trachomatis: User Marcus007 on de.wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Chlamydomonas: Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility, Dartmouth College, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Christmas tree worm: NOAA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Clownfish: Pauline Walsh Jacobson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Coccolithophore Emiliania: Alison R. Taylor (University of North Carolina Wilmington Microscopy Facility), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Coconut palm: Anoopan at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Coelacanth: sybarite48, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Comb jellies: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Common earthworm: Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Common haircap moss: Micki Colbeck, CC BY, via iNaturalist Common liverwort: Jasper Shide, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Common morel: Сергей Неклюдов, CC BY, via iNaturalist Common octopus: Comingio Merculiano (1845-1915) in Jatta Giuseppe (1860-1903), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Common ostrich: William Warby, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Common stonewort: Eleftherios Katsillis, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Common wheat: Марина Садыкова, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Coral weed: Saryu Mae, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Cordaites: Jebulon, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Crocodilians: Leigh Bedford, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Cyanobacteria: Elena Patova, Irina Novakovskaya, Evgeniy Gusev & Nikita Martynenko, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Deinococcus radiodurans: Credit: TEM of D. radiodurans acquired in the laboratory of Michael Daly, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA. http://www.usuhs.mil/pat/deinococcus/index_20.htm, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Diatoms: no rights reserved, uploaded by Randal, CC0, via iNaturalist Dickinsonia: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Dinoflagellates: Bruce Anderson (University of Stellenbosch)., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Dog rose: Patrick Hacker, CC BY, via iNaturalist E. coli: NIAID, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Eastern grey kangaroo: (c) Shane Walker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Shane Walker, CC BY, via iNaturalist Emperor penguin: Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Emperor scorpion: Mike Baird, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons English oak: Malene Thyssen, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Eryops: Daderot, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons European lobster: Bart Braun, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Eusthenopteron: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Flatworms: Jan Derk, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Fly agaric: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Giant clam: Janderk, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Giant kelp: unknown, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Giant manta ray: David Sim from London, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Giant sequoia: NOAA Photo Library, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Giant water lily: Bilby, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ginkgo: Summit Metro Parks, CC BY, via iNaturalist Giraffe: Sri Srikumar, CC0, via GBIF Golden chanterelle: George Chernilevsky, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Golden eagle: Juan lacruz, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Golden staph: Eric Erbe, Christopher Pooley, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Goliath birdeater: Antoine Guiguet, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Great Basin bristlecone pine: James R Bouldin (talk · contribs), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Great horsetail: xlibber, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Great white shark: Pterantula (Terry Goss) at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Green sea turtle: Anna Varona, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Grey wolf: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Gut methanogen: Viktoria Weinberger, Rokhsareh Mohammadzadeh, Marcus Blohs, Kerstin Kalt, Alexander Mahnert, Sarah Moser, Marina Cecovini, Polona Mertelj, Tamara Zurabishvili, Bhawna Arora, Jacqueline Wolf, Tejus Shinde, Tobias Madl, Hansjörg Habisch, Dagmar Kolb, Dominique Pernitsch, Kerstin Hingerl, William Metcalf and Christine Moissl-Eichinger, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons HIV-1: Content Providers: CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Halobacterium: Lordtct, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Helicoprion: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Honey fungus: tomasz przechlewski from Sopot, Poland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hornworts: HermannSchachner, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Human: NASA; retouched by Coffeeandcrumbs, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Indian peafowl: Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Influenza A virus: Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/ Dr. Erskine Palmer, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Irish moss: Perry Gunnar Larsen, CC BY 4.0, via GBIF Kimberella: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons King cobra: Max Tibby, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Koala: Till Niermann, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Komodo dragon: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Lichens: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Magellanic peat moss: Leonhard Lenz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Maidenhair fern: Wasp32, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Malaria parasite: Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Mae Melvin Transwiki approved by: w:en:User:Dmcdevit, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Many-headed slime mould: Garrett Taylor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Medicinal leech: Karl Ragnar Gjertsen, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Mermaid's wineglass: Yves Bas, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Metamonads: CDC / Mahmud Tari, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Mimivirus: Ghigo E, Kartenbeck J, Lien P, Pelkmans L, Capo C, Mege JL, Raoult D., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Monarch butterfly: Thomas Bresson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Monkey puzzle: scott.zona, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Moon jellyfish: Paul VanDerWerf from Brunswick, Maine, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Opabinia: Han Zeng, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Orchids: Forest Botial-Jarvis, CC BY, via iNaturalist Paramecium: (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY, via iNaturalist Peacock mantis shrimp: Jens Petersen, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Plains zebra: Ltshears, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Plants: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Platypus: Tim, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Porcini: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Portuguese man o' war: Image courtesy of Islands in the Sea 2002, NOAA/OER., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Potato blight: Сарапулов, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Prochlorococcus: Luke Thompson from Chisholm Lab and Nikki Watson from Whitehead, MIT, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Proterocladus: Ross P. Anderson, Sanaa Mughal and George O. Wedlake published this picture with a CC BY 4.0 license in 2024, referring to Tang, Q.; Pang, K.; Yuan, X. & Xiao, S. as the original publishers in 2020, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Proteus amoeba: Don Loarie, CC BY, via iNaturalist Prototaxites: Parasitaxus, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Purple laver: Lou Wagstaffe, CC BY, via iNaturalist Purple sea urchin: Dr. Dwayne Meadows, NOAA/NMFS/OPR., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Rhizobium leguminosarum: Qaswarah 21, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ring-tailed lemur: Alex Dunkel (Maky), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Rodents: Peter Trimming, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Roman snail: George Chernilevsky, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Roundworms: Casey H. Richart, CC BY, via iNaturalist Ruby-throated hummingbird: Blake Ross, CC BY, via iNaturalist Rushing fireball: Servé Kengen, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons SARS-CoV-2: NIAID-RML (https://www.niaid.nih.gov/ & https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/rocky-mountain-laboratories), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Sacred lotus: Hong Zhang (jennyzhh2008), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Sago palm: Bikash Kumar Sahoo, CC BY 4.0, via GBIF Saguaro: CK Kelly, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Scale tree: Korinna, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Sea lamprey: Raffaele Maiorano, CC0, via iNaturalist Sea lettuce: W.carter, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Sea scorpions: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Smallpox virus: Content Providers(s): CDC/ Dr. Fred Murphy; Sylvia Whitfield, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Social amoeba: Bruno in Columbus, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Soft tree fern: Cgoodwin, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Southern magnolia: DavetheMage, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Spirochaetes: Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Stag beetle: Flocci Nivis, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Staghorn coral: Joeschmitty at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Streptomyces coelicolor: LunMa4, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Sunflower: Jon Sullivan, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Tiger: Dave Pape, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Tiktaalik: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tuatara: unknown, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tuberculosis bacillus: Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. George Kubica, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Turkey tail: Ecornerdropshop at en.wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Vase tunicate: Jean-Paul Boerekamps, CC0, via iNaturalist Velvet worms: Kai Squires, CC BY 4.0, via GBIF Venus flytrap: JellyLotus, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Venus's flower basket: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Gulf of Mexico 2012 Expedition, public domain, via iNaturalist Volvox: (c) http://www.unbf.ca/vip/index.htm, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY, via iNaturalist Water bears: Schokraie E, Warnken U, Hotz-Wagenblatt A, Grohme MA, Hengherr S, et al. (2012), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Welwitschia: Freddy Weber, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Western gorilla: Macinate, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Western honey bee: John Severns (Severnjc), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Whale shark: FGBNMS/Eckert, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Wheat stem rust: unknown, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Yew: Juvia Heuchert, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Zombie-ant fungus: David P. Hughes, Maj-Britt Pontoppidan, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons