What is the tree of life?
The tree of life shows how all life on earth is related. Each leaf represents a different species. The branches show how these many species evolved from common ancestors over billions of years. In our interactive tree of life you can explore the relationships between 2,235,076 species and wonder at 105,456 images on a single zoomable page.
- 2,235,076 species
- 105,456 images
Biodiversity and Conservation...
We want to help everyone appreciate biodiversity and the need to conserve it.
Red leaves on our tree of life show species known to be under threat of extinction.
Green leaves are either okay for now but might be nearly threatened.
Most leaves are grey meaning that it's not known how threatened they are.
What they say...
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This project has enormous potential both as a tool for increasing public knowledge and engagement but also as an aid to research in Conservation and Biodiversity.
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The best tool I’ve seen for exploring the tree of life on this planet.
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OneZoom is one of the most fascinating visualization projects I've seen in years!
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Wonderful idea and resource!
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OneZoom is probably my favorite website of all time.
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In my opinion, it is the best visualisation of evolution that's out there for the lay person.
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I showed OneZoom to my colleagues as - honestly - the most impressive visualization of scientific results I have ever come across.
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…simply the most useful tool for understanding phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships.
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Your tree is the best thing to ever happen to evolutionary education. Keep up the amazing work.
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This will revolutionize how we teach and understand the Tree of Life. It is an invaluable tool for communicating the grand scope of life's history.
Become a sponsor...
OneZoom is a registered non-profit in the UK, all our products are available for free. 884 people like you have helped us by making donations. Their names have appeared as sponsors on 1540 leaves of our tree of life leaves of our tree of life.
Only one name per leaf so get your favourite while you can, for yourself or as a gift.
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Black walnut
(Juglans nigra)Sponsored forStuart E. Cok — Sparta, Michigan -
Blue-lined octopus
(Hapalochlaena fasciata)Sponsored forAlexander N. Coke — Wolverine Lake, MI -
Wonderpus octopus
(Wunderpus photogenicus)Sponsored forAddie Schlachter — Chapel Hill, North Carolina -
Common octopus
(Octopus vulgaris)Sponsored byDavid A. Coke — In wonder of other minds... -
Cochlearia bavaricaSponsored byGerman Weber — Memmingen, Deutschland
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Barley
(Hordeum vulgare)Sponsored forThe Grossman Family — Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. -
Hypsibius dujardiniSponsored forDebra Hargiss
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North pacific giant octopus
(Enteroctopus dofleini)Sponsored byJames Dylan Wolf Stout -
Black phoebe
(Sayornis nigricans)Sponsored byBarry Langdon-Lassagne -
Liverleaf
(Anemone hepatica)Sponsored forIsabel Mond — Esparros -
Small-leaved lime
(Tilia cordata)Sponsored forIsabel Mond -
European chestnut
(Castanea sativa)Sponsored forProf. David Mond -
Sitka spruce
(Picea sitchensis)Sponsored byRichard Mond -
Komodo dragon
(Varanus komodoensis)Sponsored forEmilio Ramos — Cambridge, UK -
Chestnut-mandibled toucan
(Ramphastos swainsonii)Sponsored byJoanne Elizabeth Gifford — To Honor Tilly-Napa, CA -
Common wood-pigeon
(Columba palumbus)Sponsored byGillian Rosindell -
Silverfish
(Ctenolepisma longicaudata)Sponsored byHenk van der Wal, Leiden -
Common beet
(Beta vulgaris)Sponsored forJanet Wood — Yum yum -
Eisenia fetidaSponsored byKirsten Moseng — Orlando, Florida, USA
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Maxillaria lepidotaSponsored byLogan Milligan
What we've been up to...
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12 September 2023
The Guardian features One Zoom as one of its 50 weirdest, most wonderful corners of the web .
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30 November 2022
OneZoom features as an interactive part of The Whole of Nature – Forces, Orders, Boundaries exhibition at the Museum of Nature Hamburg, Germany. The exhibition combines science and art to show how nature can be ordered. -
29 September 2022
Donors can now renew their support of sponsored leaves. Sponsorships are only for a four year period, however those who do not renew will remain on our tree of life for the time being. Donors will get an e-mail reminder before their sponsored leaves expire. -
23 July 2022
OneZoom features as an interactive component of the Taxonomy: Our Lives Depend On It exhibition at Bishop Musuem , Honolulu, Hawai‘i. -
22 May 2022
Thank you to On The Edge for funding our latest project: tree tours. We will bring you a collection of guided tours around our tree of life explorer. These tree tours will take you to particularly interesting parts of the tree and give you more information about evolution, biodiversity and conservation as you go. You will be able to sit back and enjoy the tree tour, or hop off and explore freely around any of the tour stops.