Evolution

The study of evolution teaches us how life originated and how it has developed throughout history. Understanding how humans, animals and plants have coped with change can give us clues to solving climate change and preserving biodiversity. Uppsala is home to hundreds of millions of years of fossils - including genuine dinosaur skeletons - which attract researchers from all over the world.

Zoonomia – the evolution of mammals

In the international Zoonomia project, researchers have sequenced the genomes of 240 different mammalian species. They are trying to understand why mammals are so different and how they have adapted to various environments.

Survivors of the largest mass extinction in history

252 million years ago, the Earth suffered the largest mass extinction ever recorded. An estimated 90 percent of all species perished, leaving room for the dinosaurs to take over. New fossil discoveries on Svalbard show that marine reptiles, or ichthyosaurs, ruled the waters earlier than previously known and survived the mass extinction as a group.

Ancient DNA revealed

Today, we can find out how people who lived thousands of years ago lived, moved around and how old they became. All thanks to advanced DNA technology. Join us in the Ancient DNA Lab, the laboratory that sheds light on ancient remains.

Teeth from the Peking Man

One of the 20th century’s great palaeontological discoveries was the fossils of the Peking Man, Homo erectus, in deposits some 500,000 years old in caves in Zhoukoudian near Beijing. The very first samples of this prehistoric man, two teeth, were found in the 1920s by Otto Zdansky from Uppsala University and can now be found at the Museum of Evolution in Uppsala together with a third tooth discovered in the 1950s among the fossils sent to Sweden. The discovery of the Peking Man became a world sensation.

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Museum of Evolution

The Museum of Evolution is a classic natural history museum for animal lovers and dinosaur fans of all ages. The museum's collections have been built up by researchers at Uppsala University since the 17th century and today hold more than 5 million objects. The museum's collections are regularly used by researchers at Uppsala University and other research institutions around the world.

Visit the Museum of Evolution

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Research

Research on evolution takes place across the University. Researchers use advanced technologies, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and interdisciplinary approaches to provide new answers to complex questions.

Examples of centres and platforms

More themes

Curious about more research that can expand your perspectives? Do you want to know how our brain works, learn how you can contribute to the green transition, or explore the state of democracy in the world?

Discover our previous themes

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