The Florida state board of education voted 4-3 at its February 19, 2008, meeting to adopt a new set of state science standards in which evolution is presented as a "fundamental concept underlying all of biology." The adopted standards differ from those developed by the writing committee in adding the phrase "the scientific theory of" before mentions of plate tectonics, cell theory, atomic theory, electromagnetism, and evolution. According to the standards, "a scientific theory represents the most powerful explanation scientists have to offer."

Anticipating the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth and the sesquicentennial of the publication of the Origin of Species, the Outreach and Education Committee of the British Society for the History of Science is conducting a prize competition for original designs illustrating the significance of these anniversaries. Entries may take the form of posters, illustrated essays, or screensavers.