ALT A herd of African elephants, including adults and calves, gathers at a watering hole beneath a cloudy sky. In the upper left, multicolored cancer awareness ribbons form the shape of a heart.

ALT Group portrait in a university lab featuring a faculty member and students gathered around a human skeleton model, with an animal skeleton displayed behind them. Most of the image is black and white, while the faculty member at center and a student at left remain in color.

ALT Microscope image of a translucent bdelloid rotifer, showing its internal gut structures and ingested algae, with illustrated icons of mushrooms, bacteria, and a seedling composited around it to represent the fungi, bacteria, and plants it has acquired genes from through horizontal gene transfer.

ALT A Panera Bread fundraising flyer for Evolutionary Studies at Vanderbilt University. The top features a sandwich, tomato soup with croutons, and chips. The event is September 24, 2026, from 4:00–8:00 p.m. at 406 21st Ave S, Nashville, TN. Customers can use code FUND4U at panerabread.com, in the Panera app, or at the in-café kiosk, with 25% of net sales donated to the organization. The flyer includes the Panera Fundraising logo and instructions for in-café customers to show the flyer or a digital copy when ordering.

ALT Un volante de recaudación de fondos de Panera Bread para Evolutionary Studies at Vanderbilt University. En la parte superior aparece un sándwich acompañado de sopa de tomate con crutones y papas fritas. El evento se realizará el 24 de septiembre de 2026, de 4:00 p. m. a 8:00 p. m., en 406 21st Ave S, Nashville, TN. Los clientes pueden usar el código FUND4U en panerabread.com, en la aplicación de Panera o en el quiosco del café. El 25 % de las ventas netas será donado a la organización. El volante también incluye el logotipo de Panera Fundraising e instrucciones para que los clientes que hagan pedidos en el café muestren el volante o una copia digital al cajero.

ALT A collage highlights an evolutionary studies project focused on creating culturally relevant educational materials about DNA. At top left, two presenters speak to an audience beside a projected slide showing illustrated DNA-learning materials. The right side traces the development of a “What is DNA?” graphic, from a general diagram explaining DNA in blood cells to a revised version incorporating culturally specific imagery and illustrations. At bottom left, a group poses with an orangutan skeleton specimen. The Evolutionary Studies and Vanderbilt University logo appears in the upper-left corner.

ALT A light pink axolotl wearing light pink flowers on its head. Background is a blurry underwater scene

ALT Four peppered moths rest on tree bark, showing two different color forms. Two light, speckled moths blend into the lighter patches of bark, while two dark-colored moths are camouflaged against the darker surface. Small illustrated factory smokestacks in the lower corners emit gray smoke, representing the Industrial Revolution and the environmental changes that drove this classic example of natural selection.

ALT Close-up macro photograph of a brightly colored bombardier beetle with an orange head and legs and metallic green wing covers standing on a green leaf. A small illustrated icon of laboratory glassware with bubbling colorful liquids appears in the lower left corner, representing the beetle's remarkable chemical defense. The soft green background is blurred, drawing attention to the beetle's detailed features.

ALT Close-up of a naked mole rat with pink, wrinkled, nearly hairless skin, large rounded ears, and dark eyes, resting on a dark purple blanket while holding a small piece of bread in its front paws. A gold awareness ribbon icon appears in the lower left corner, indicating the image relates to biomedical research, such as studies of cancer resistance or healthy aging.

ALT Illustration of a bottle and glass of red wine surrounded by clusters of purple and red grapes. A hermaphrodite symbol appears in the upper left, while stylized female and male symbols overlap in the upper right, suggesting a comparison of different reproductive or sex-related systems in the context of wine or alcohol research.

ALT Circular phylogenetic tree showing evolutionary relationships among hundreds of yeast species analyzed in the study. Branches are colored by fungal order, and concentric colored rings around the outside indicate whether each species is resistant to seven antifungal drugs: fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, terbinafine, caspofungin, 5-fluorocytosine, and amphotericin B. The visualization illustrates that antifungal resistance occurs across many evolutionary lineages rather than being confined to a single group.

ALT Group photo of the Rokas Lab in 2023, showing 11 researchers standing on the steps beneath a stone archway. Three people in the center are shown in color while the rest of the image is in black and white. Large text at the top reads "Rokas Lab 2023," with the names "Rinker," "Rokas," and "Harrison" identifying the three highlighted researchers.

ALT A large model of a coelacanth fish appears to swim across the foreground of an Evolutionary Studies office. Behind it, two life-size skeleton models stand near a desk, one wearing a hooded sweatshirt and the other a Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies T-shirt. A large window overlooks a city skyline, and Evolutionary Studies branding is displayed on the desk and nearby books. The image has a soft purple and blue color overlay, giving it a stylized, dreamlike appearance.