# Evrim Ağacı

Evrim Ağacı (English: Tree of Evolution) is an organization founded by the members of ODTU "Biology and Genetics Club" on November 5, 2010.

## Status

Today, it is a popular science company headquartered in Texas and making versatile publications to Turkish-speaking people. As of 2023, its managers include Ashlee Lane Bakırcı-Taylor and technical affairs officer Eyüp Can Akman.
According to Alexa ranking, the official website, is among Turkey's most visited websites on the internet. His work is supported intermittently financially and academically by the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.
Evrim Ağacı was registered in Turkey on June 1, 2016, by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office with the trademark number 2015-44893. As of February 23, 2018, it continues to operate as the "Evrim Ağacı" brand and company in the state of Texas.

## History

The foundations of the Evrim Ağacı were laid during a ODTU Biology and Genetics Society (BİYOGEN) weekly meeting held in September 2010. At the meeting, Çağrı Mert Bakırcı, who participated in BİYOGEN for the first time; He explained his idea of establishing a new evolutionary biology organization to the chairman of the board of directors at the time, and received positive feedback. Based on these positive feedback, it was decided to implement the project in a short time, and people who might be particularly interested in the Theory of Evolution came together with Bakırcı. Bakırcı, who met Babür Erdem and Güngör Budak during this process, drew a broad road map in a short time and made the necessary decisions regarding the vision, mission, content and plans of the formation by brainstorming with other possible members of the team. "Evrim Ağacı", which would be the name of the group that was decided to progress as a science and enlightenment movement, was recommended by Erdem after a few days of thought and discussion and was accepted in a short time. Thereupon, Evrim Tree was officially established in ODTU, Ankara, on November 5, 2010, with its first meeting held under the leadership of Bakırcı.

## Studies

Among the activities carried out by Evrim Ağacı are seminars, conferences, courses, panels and academic programs. "Türkiye Meets Evolution" events were held in Ankara, Istanbul, İzmir, and in provinces such as Bursa and Eskişehir. The team organized various seminars at universities and high schools in these provinces and sent speakers to the seminars. He also conducted interviews with various scientists and scientific institutions. Evrim Ağacı, together with the ODTU Biology and Genetics Society, organized the ODTU Aykut Kence Evolution Conference, Turkey's longest running and most attended evolutionary biology event. The event was organized every year with the participation of local and foreign academicians, students and citizens. Evolutionary biologists such as Douglas Futuyma, Kenneth Miller and Andrew Berry attended these events. Among the events in which Evrim Ağacı directly participates or organizes, the 1st Free Thought and Secularism Conference organized with the participation of Sean Faircloth from the Richard Dawkins Foundation, the "ODTU Science Days" organized with the participation of the scientific communities at ODTU, There are also other events such as "ODTU Neuroscience Days" and "ODTU Biochemistry Conference". Evrim Ağacı has also organized science seminars at ODTU since its establishment.

## Criticism

Attitude of Evrim Ağacı towards vegetarianism and veganism has been criticized by vegan organizations.