BBC One

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

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David Attenborough is a passionate Darwinian. He sees evolution as the cornerstone of all the programmes he has ever made.

In this one-hour special - a highlight of the Darwin Season - David shares his personal view on Darwin's controversial idea.
Programme co-produced by The Open University.

You can explore and download the interactive Tree of Life animation, courtesy of The Wellcome Trust:

Go to the Tree of Life animation website

Go to the David Attenborough archive website

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  • BBC's Darwin Season

    Intro to Darwin Season

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    Find out why 2009 is a special year, watch the animated TV trail and take a look at the Season's programmes.

  • In Our Time presenter Melvyn Bragg

    In Our Time

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    Melvyn Bragg asks why Darwin's writing remains such an influence on our understanding of nature.
    Listen again at Radio 4

  • Darwin letters and drawings

    Dear Darwin

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    Five eminent contemporary thinkers write personal letters to the great man.
    Listen again at Radio 4

  • Painting of HMS Beagle

    Hunting the Beagle

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    Maritime historian Robert Prescott tracks down HMS Beagle's last resting place.
    Listen again at Radio 4

  • Leading Edge presenter Geoff Watts

    Leading Edge

    Geoff Watts on 'Darwin's Sacred Cause' - a controversial new book which claims that Darwin was driven by his anti-slavery beliefs.
    Listen again at Radio 4

  • Biologist Armand Leroi

    What Darwin Didn't Know

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    Biologist Armand Leroi explores the evolution of evolution theory in the 150 years since Darwin.
    Visit the programme page

  • Sir David Attenborough

    Charles Darwin and
    the Tree of Life

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    David Attenborough, a passionate Darwinian, shares his personal views on Darwin's theory.
    Visit the programme page

  • Crawling beetle

    Darwin's Struggle

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    The story of Darwin's twenty-year personal struggle that mirrored the natural world he observed.
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  • A giraffe feeding

    The Origins of The Origin

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    Examining the connections between French and English evolutionary thought - and how giraffes evolved long necks.

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  • Darwin Season newsletter

    Make a date with Darwin

    Don't miss more Darwin programmes in this BBC Season.

    Sign up here for e-mail reminders.

  • Actor Jo Stone-Fewings

    The Beagle Diary

    Jo Stone-Fewings reads Charles Darwin's own account of his epic five-year voyage on board HMS Beagle at the age of 22.
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  • Martin Johnson Heade, Cattleya Orchid and Three Hummingbirds, 1871, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Gift of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

    Darwin's Children

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    Five essays explore Darwin's influence on art, literature, economics, religion and even online social networks.
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  • Portrait of the young Charles Darwin

    Darwin, My Ancestor

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    Writer Ruth Padel's personal journey looking at the genius of her great-great-grandfather.
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  • Sunset on the Galapagos islands

    Voyages of Descent

    The tale of Captain Robert Fitzroy, who's decision to invite Darwin to sail with him ultimately ended in a mix of tragedy and fame.
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  • Three starfish

    Night Waves

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    Looking at the legacies of three titans of 20th century thought - Darwin, Marx and Freud.
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  • Darwin letter © Cambridge University Library

    Like Confessing a Murder

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    This moving drama, based on Charles and Emma Darwin's own words, recreates their private fears about Charles' ideas.
    Listen again - details

  • Reverend Angela Tilby

    Darwin's Conundrum

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    The Reverend Angela Tilby explores Darwin's complex relationship with religion.
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  • Jimmy Doherty facing a gorilla

    Darwin's Garden

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    Across three programmes, Jimmy Doherty recreates Darwin's ingenious experiments to show that evolution is all around.
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  • Andrew Marr

    Darwin's Dangerous Idea

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    Andrew Marr's three-part series looks at how Darwin's idea escaped the world of science and took on a life of its own.
    Visit the programme page

  • Professor Conor Cunningham

    Did Darwin Kill God?

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    Conor Cunningham argues that it's possible to be a Christian and accept the theory of evolution.
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  • Leaves x-ray

    Darwinian Sistine Chapel

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    14 April, 11am Radio 4
    The difficulties of conceiving and erecting 'Tree' - The Natural History Museum's recently unveiled art installation.

  • BBC's Darwin Season

    Darwin Season 2009

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    Find out why 2009 is a special year for science, and how it is being marked by the BBC.

Explore evolution

'Devolve' yourself game

Take things further with The Open University's expert articles, experiments and online discussion.


• Watch: Dawkins on Darwin's Five Bridges

• Experiment: Join the Megalab snail hunt

• Discuss: Join the Darwin debate

Tree of Life

 Tree of Life poster

The free poster is no longer available, but why not explore evolution online at The Open University.


• Explore the Tree of Life at The OU

BBC News

BBC News - Darwin stories

Even today, Darwin is headline news. Follow the interactive map, the diary and the stories below:


 • Watch scientists' videos on evolution

 • At home with Darwin... 200 years on

 • Richard Dawkins on Charles Darwin

Related links

• BBC Kent - Darwin audio slideshow

• BBC Topics - Charles Darwin

• BBC Topics - David Attenborough

• BBC News - Galapagos blog and videos

• BBC Radio 3 - Darwin homepage

• BBC Radio 4 - Darwin homepage

• BBC Manchester - Darwin's moth

• BBC Shropshire - Darwin Festival 2009

• BBC Staffordshire - Darwin connections

• BBC History - Darwin profile

• BBC Films - Creation the Movie

• The Wellcome Trust - Darwin 200

• Natural History Museum - Darwin 200

• Darwin Online - the complete works

• Darwin Correspondence Project

• English Heritage - Darwin's House

• Westminster Abbey - Darwin's grave

• Fitzwilliam Museum - Endless Forms

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