Signature series
Aves Phylogenetic Tree - 500 - Mono
Evolutionary biology · Avian phylogeny · 500 species
- Original infographic and mathematical visualisations by Simon Tyler
- Featured in The Guardian · The Times · Elle Decoration
- Free UK delivery on every order · Worldwide shipping
500 bird species mapped as a single radial diagram of shared ancestry - from hummingbirds to ostriches, penguins to parrots. Every branch is a divergence point; every species a unique endpoint in an evolutionary history that begins 150 million years ago.
About this print
About this print
Five hundred bird species arranged by descent, radiating outward from a single common ancestor. Distance from the centre is time; every fork is a moment when one lineage became two. Hummingbirds and ostriches sit on the same diagram, separated by roughly 100 million years of divergence.
The shape carries information the list of names cannot. Some branches fan wide and late - the passerines, which account for more than half of all living birds, erupt near the outer edge in a burst of recent speciation. Others run long and almost bare: the ostriches and their relatives split early and never diversified in the same way.
The arrangement follows current molecular phylogenetics rather than the older classifications built on anatomy, and the two disagree more often than is comfortable. Falcons turn out to be closer to parrots than to hawks. Flamingos are closest to grebes. The tree is drawn from what the genomes say, not from what the birds look like.
Part of the Signature series of scientific illustration prints.
The Signature series
The Signature series
Signature is a collection of mathematical, scientific and infographic visualisations - prime number distributions, evolutionary trees, geological timescales, and other structures that become something unexpected when rendered at print scale.
Each piece begins as a data-driven computational process and is developed into a finished artwork through a combination of custom code and design refinement. The aim is not to illustrate mathematics but to make the underlying structures visible - to find the image that was always inside the data.
The series draws on fields including number theory, evolutionary biology, palaeontology, topology, and information design.
Paper and printing
Paper and printing
All prints are produced to order on 250gsm archival matte paper using pigment-based inks, chosen for colour accuracy and long-term stability.
Each print is rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in a rigid cardboard tube, sealed for moisture protection, ready for framing on arrival.
Dimensions
Dimensions
Large · 50 × 70 cm · 20 × 28 in
XLarge · 70 × 100 cm · 28 × 40 in
Delivery
Delivery
UK: Free · 3-5 working days
Europe: €8.50 · 3-7 working days · No customs charges
USA & Canada: $8.95 / $12.00 CAD · 5-10 working days
Australia: $14.00 AUD · 5-10 working days
Rest of World: £14.95 · 7-14 working days
All prints are produced to order and dispatched within 1-3 working days. Orders placed before 5pm GMT ship the same day. You'll receive tracking information by email once dispatched.
Orders outside Europe may be subject to local customs charges on delivery - these are the responsibility of the recipient.
Returns
Returns
Returns accepted within 30 days. Email returns@axisophy.com with your order number and we'll provide return instructions.
Return postage is the customer's responsibility except where the print arrives damaged or there's been an error - in which case we'll arrange a replacement or refund immediately, no return needed.