Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution remain. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists do not believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that promote evolution education and avoids the kinds of misinformation that can hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to teach evolution well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when it comes to debates about the definition of the word itself.
It is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a straightforward and useful manner. The site is a companion site to the show that premiered in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in a nested fashion that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and relationship of evolution to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the ways in which evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been propagated by creationists.
It is also possible to find the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection, which happens when organisms that have more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adapted characteristics.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. By studying the DNA of these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) change through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species can take thousands of years and the process can be slowed or increased by environmental conditions such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of different animal and plant groups with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also focuses on human evolution, which is a topic that is particularly important for students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap when it was published in 1858, which was a year following the initial edition of The Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it contains a wealth of information about geology and paleontology. The website has numerous aspects that are quite impressive, such as the timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also features a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it could also be used as a source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easy to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are also 에볼루션 게이밍 to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological context offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not only processes and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals across geological time.
The website is divided into different routes that can be taken to learn about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the complexities and evidence of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that can be used to support a range of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content which include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation on the Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in to a single clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in conditions of the water that occur at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key tool to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A rich collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth as well as broadness in terms of educational resources. 에볼루션 게이밍 features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely linked to the realms of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial selection experiments using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized into curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven short videos that are intended for use in the classroom. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still an area of study that has many important questions to answer, such as the causes of evolution and how fast it happens. This is especially true for the evolution of humans which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits evolved from Apes.
There are also a number of other ways evolution can take place, with natural selection as the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution like genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among other things.
Although many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, other religions haven't.