Overview

The insights evolutionary biology has accumulated over the last century have affected virtually all areas of science and the humanities. In biology, they have helped shape our views about the origins of life, of biodiversity, of humans, and of evolutionary innovations in general. In the social sciences, they have formed our views about the origins of sociality, morality, and cooperation. And in engineering, they have aided in the design of systems as different as biological catalysts and optimization algorithms. Multiple evolutionary biology research groups are active at the University of Zurich (UZH), the ETH Zurich (ETHZ), and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). Their activities span fields as diverse as molecular evolution, paleontology, anthropology, evolutionary ecology, epidemiology, population genetics, and systematics. These research groups are affiliated with various institutes and form a loose confederation of scientists that is held together by common research interests and collaborations, as well as by shared teaching activities. This website provides an overview of research and teaching activities in evolutionary biology in Zurich.