Island Zone

Visit a tropical island research station to learn about evolution by studying some of the unique animals that make these isolated habitats their homes. Let curiosity be your guide as you examine live lizards, reef-dwelling tropical fish and freshwater cichlid fish from Africa, and find out why ecologists turn to island life for clues about the way evolution works.

Exhibit Highlights

A leaf-tailed gecko with bulbous, striped eyed and mottled brown coloration
Image attribution
Keeper Kit

Gecko Habitats

Visit four species of leaf-tailed geckos and compare them to see how they evolved in different ways.

A diversity of corals and brightly colored fish in an aquarium
Image attribution
Aquarist Marla

Underwater Island Life

Observe colorful, live reef fish that are found only in the waters around Hawaii, along with live coral that can be found in Hawaiian waters as well as in other areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Two kids gather in front of a screen to play a game.

Survival of the Fittest

Play the role of a predator in this interactive computer game, and explore how natural selection influences the evolution of a species over multiple generations.

A leaf-tailed gecko with bulbous, striped eyed and mottled brown coloration
Image attribution
Keeper Kit

Gecko Habitats

Visit four species of leaf-tailed geckos and compare them to see how they evolved in different ways.

A diversity of corals and brightly colored fish in an aquarium
Image attribution
Aquarist Marla

Underwater Island Life

Observe colorful, live reef fish that are found only in the waters around Hawaii, along with live coral that can be found in Hawaiian waters as well as in other areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Two kids gather in front of a screen to play a game.

Survival of the Fittest

Play the role of a predator in this interactive computer game, and explore how natural selection influences the evolution of a species over multiple generations.

Slider info