Evolution MegaLab

This collection from Evolution Megalab introduces students to Darwin’s ideas on evolution by looking at variation, adaptation and distribution of banded snails. Evolution Megalab is a Europe-wide survey of banded snails in gardens and public open spaces. It is a data gathering study of snail habitats, their shell colour and pattern of banding to which the public may contribute. Over many years snails have been adapting to their environment. This may be as a result of climate change and changes in other animals and plants around them. In these resources children can conduct their own snail hunt and record their findings via the EvolutionMegalab website, and will receive personalised interpretations of their observations. Comparing these samples with historical data, the EvolutionMegalab team will examine evolutionary changes over the last fifty years, along with the impact on the banded snails of the changing thrush numbers (thrushes eat banded snails) and of climate change.