The “Evolution Canyon” (“EC”)  represent  local, microcosmic, natural laboratory designated by the Institute of Evolution, Haifa University The South-facing slope (SFS ) in canyons north of the equator receive higher solar radiation than on the nearby North-facing slopes (NFS).

This solar radiation is associated with higher temperature and drought on the more stressful SFS, causing dramatic physical and biotic interslope divergence, which may have originated several million years ago after mountain uplifts. These canyons are extraordinary, natural, evolutionary laboratories. Rocks, soils, and topography are similar on the opposite slopes (50-100 m apart at the bottom); microclimate remains the major interslope divergent factor.

The intraspecific interslope divergence has been compared in 2500 species  unraveling the link between environmental stress and  genome evolution in adaptation. Among other organisms, wild progenitors of cereals have been studied at “EC” for more than 30 years. The work has produced more than 200 publications and  a book, ‘Evolution of Wild Emmer and Wheat Improvement’.