Promoting evolution: the brand new Hellenic Evolutionary Society (HEVOS)

Theodore J Abatzopoulos; Sinos Giokas; Panayiotis Pafilis; Nikos Poulakakis; Spyros Sfenthourakis; Eleftherios Zouros

doi:10.1186/s40709-019-0098-6

Promoting evolution: the brand new Hellenic Evolutionary Society (HEVOS)

J Biol Res (Thessalon). 2019 Aug 30:26:6. doi: 10.1186/s40709-019-0098-6. eCollection 2019 Dec.

Authors

Theodore J Abatzopoulos¹, Sinos Giokas², Panayiotis Pafilis³, Nikos Poulakakis⁴, Spyros Sfenthourakis⁵, Eleftherios Zouros⁶

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Genetics, Development & Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
² 2Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece.
³ 3Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Dept. of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece.
⁴ 4Department of Biology and Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71409 Heraklion, Crete Greece.
⁵ 5Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Panepistimiou Ave. 1, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus.
⁶ 6Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete Greece.

Abstract

Herein we present the recently founded Hellenic Evolutionary Society (HEVOS) that has been recently instituted to promote evolution and scientific thinking among the Greek-speaking public. HEVOS is a timely initiative, given the low levels of acceptance of evolution by Greek society and the almost complete lack of evolution teaching in primary and secondary education in Greece. Herein, the main aims of the Society are presented.

Keywords: Evolution; Greece; Public acceptance; Science communication.