This interactive module allows students to compare the morphological characteristics of seashells and construct an evolutionary tree.

Taxonomy is a discipline in science concerned with grouping species by common traits. In this Click & Learn, students explore some of the principles of taxonomy by grouping seashells based on their shapes, structures, and other characteristics.

Students examine photos of 20 different shells. Clicking on each image opens a short description and 3D view where the shell can rotated and magnified. By deciding which shells are more similar to one another, students gradually build a phylogenetic tree of seashell species.