Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about the evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's difficult to teach evolution well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant when it comes to the definition of the words.
It is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful way. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The material is presented in a nested fashion which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the way the concept of evolution has been examined. This information will help to dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) develop through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years and the process can be slowed or increased due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the evolution of humans as a subject of particular importance for students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is primarily one of biology however it also includes many details on geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site are a series of timelines which show how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time and an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television series however, it can stand on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and has clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments using guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their natural environment is a superior method of study over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that happen regularly or over time but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals across the geological time.
The website is divided into various pathways to understanding evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the scientific process and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that support a variety educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to general textual content, the site features a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation on the Web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. Then, 에볼루션 바카라 사이트 concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes a discussion on the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics, an important method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that runs through all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the disciplines of life science.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides depth as well as wide range of educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has a "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely linked to the realms of research science. For example, an animation introducing 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.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which has an extensive collection of multimedia resources that are related to evolution. The content is organized into the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It includes seven short videos that are designed for use in classrooms. They can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still an area of study that poses many important questions, such as what causes evolution and how fast it happens. This is especially true for human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans derived from apes and religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique among living things and holds a a special place in creation with soul.
Additionally, there are a number of ways that evolution could be triggered with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among other things.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.