EVOLUTION EARTH Climate Series Coming to PBS

At the front lines of climate change, animals have a surprising story to tell in the newest PBS environmental docu-series, EVOLUTION EARTH.  

Premiering Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App, and narrated by evolutionary biologist Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton (Human Footprint on PBS), EVOLUTION EARTH embarks on a global expedition to reveal animals keeping pace with a planet changing at superspeed.

“As an evolutionary biologist and professor, I enjoy exploring new ways to help people understand and get excited about the changing world around us,” said Dr. Campbell-Staton. “I am grateful for another opportunity to share my expertise on PBS platforms and to inspire exploration into our planet’s unique and awe-inspiring ecosystems.”

Heading out across the globe to distant wilds and modern urban environments, five episodes track how animals migrate, ingeniously adapt their behavior and even evolve in accelerated, unexpected ways. Documenting this rapid change are the scientists, filmmakers, and local communities recording the animals’ stories. EVOLUTION EARTH tells a tale of resilience that redefines our understanding of evolution and hints at how nature can show a path towards a sustainable future for Planet Earth.

“PBS is committed to providing best in class environmental programming and we’re excited to explore these surprising stories of resilience and adaptation,” said Bill Gardner, Vice President, Multiplatform Programming & Head of Development at PBS. “Amplified by one of our most engaging science storytellers, Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton, this project combines the best resources in public media to explore these dynamic stories about our planet and its life.”

The debut episode “Earth” (Sept. 6) showcases the phenomena of evolution and adaptation to Earth’s extremes. From marine iguanas in the Galápagos shrinking their actual skeletons in response to extreme conditions to the Fongoli chimps living at the very edge of existence in a rapidly heating world, animals are acting as sentinels and helping to unlock the riddles of a changing planet.

The subsequent episodes of EVOLUTION EARTH focus on evolution stories at the frontiers of the changing planet forged by the forces of the environments they are set in and allows viewers to witness nature’s remarkable resilience.