Statements by Scientific Organizations on Evolution Education

• AIBS Board Resolution on Evolution Education

  The American Institute of Biological Sciences adopted a resolution in support of teaching evolution in 1972. The resolution was reaffirmed by the AIBS Board in 1994.

• National Association of Biology Teachers Statement on Evolution

  The National Association of Biology Teachers issued an update of its statement on teaching evolution in 2011, which reaffirms the organization's stance that evolution is the central, unifying theme of biology.

• American Society of Plant Taxonomists Statement on Evolution

  "The American Society of Plant Taxonomists fully endorses the use of evolution in the scholarship of its members and supports teaching this theory in schools, colleges and universities... As educators, we believe that evolution is an essential component of science education."

• American Fisheries Society Resolution on Evolution Education

  The American Fisheries Society officially adopted a resolution (7 KB PDF) on 4 September 2007, concerning the teaching of alternatives to evolution in public school science classes. The resolution "affirms that the theory of evolution is the only current scientific explanation for the diversity of life on earth for inclusion in the science curricula of public schools."

• Letter from NAS President Bruce Alberts Regarding Threats to Evolution Education

  On 4 March 2005 Dr. Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academies of Science, sent a letter to Academy members alerting them to a growing threat to quality science education — attempts by anti-evolution activists to remove evolution from the biology curriculum or to have intelligent design/creationism added to the curriculum. Alberts encourages NAS members to be prepared to utilize their scientific expertise and prestige to help defend science education in their states and local communities.

• American Society of Naturalists Statement on Evolution and Education

  In August 2005, the American Society of Naturalists adopted a statement that recognized that "evolution is at the heart of the mission of the American Society of Naturalists to enhance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences...evolution must be an integral part of any science curriculum."

• AAAS Board Resolution Opposing "Intelligent Design" Theory in U.S. Science Classes, November 2002.

  The Board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science has passed a resolution urging policymakers to oppose teaching "Intelligent Design Theory" within science classrooms, but rather, to keep it separate, in the same way that creationism and other religious teachings are currently handled.

• Statement on the Teaching of Evolution by the Society for the Study of Evolution

• Botanical Society of America Statement on Evolution (2003)

• Genetics Society of America Statement on Evolution and Creationism (2003)

• A template resolution from the National Conference on Teaching Evolution, October 2000, University of California, Berkeley.

  Evolution is Good Science. Understanding evolution and the nature of science is important to society. [Our society] supports teaching evolution and the nature of science in our nation's classrooms and informal science centers.

• Paleontological Society Statement on Evolution Education (2003)