Science and Art
Darwin2009: Spiral of Life Mural Series
What is the Spiral of Life?
The Spiral of Life: All living things are connected by evolution.
The Spiral of Life represents a new understanding of evolution, emphasizing the common origin, and the equality of all livings things. The organic shape of the spiral also connotes a sense of Life that is bigger than one animal or cell, as a whole. Life as an exploratory force, constantly modifying itself to adapt to its changing environment. The spiral indicates time using tree-ring-like rings, and its branches continue past the “today” line, reminding us that evolution is an on-going process.
Concept art for the Spiral of Life. The spiral shape emphasizes the common origin and equality of all living things.
First depiction of a phylogenetic tree-like diagram, in Charles Darwin's notes (1837).
Charles Darwin became famous for his realization that all species arise from a common ancestor; changing slowly overtime through the process he called natural selection. All of Life then is connected by evolution. In one of Darwin’s notebooks, we can find the first know depiction of a diagram that translates evolutionary relationships. This type of diagram is still used today, and Darwin’s science is the basis of modern evolutionary biology.
As revolutionary as this picture of life is, limitations emerged over time. As the idea coalesced into a popular icon, misconceptions abound including that evolution is a linear process that culminated in Humans, and then stopped.
Lots of different organisms were created to populate the Spirals. Organisms were chosen for their evolutionary significance and also to represent the collection of each host museum.
The Spiral of Life mural series will be at Carnegie Science Center, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquariums, the National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory, and the Children’s Museum. Each mural is tailored to explore evolution through the unique perspective of the institution's collection and identity. See pictures and details of each Spiral >>
The research behind this project was a daunting task since much of this evolutionary and taxonomic information is still under debate. Data compilation was conducted by Duquesne undergraduate students Allison Pogue and Brinley Kantorsky, and the scientific guidance of several experts >
Handouts and activities were developed with each Spiral to help visitors tell each other the story therein.
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