Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution persist. People who have been exposed to the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists do not believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and avoids the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to properly teach evolution. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the nature of the words themselves.
As such, it is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful way. The website is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The material is organized in a manner that makes it easier to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to define the nature and relationship of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and confirmed. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been engendered by the creationists.
에볼루션사이트 is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. By studying the DNA of these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of factors, including natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a number of different animal and plant groups through time and focuses on the most significant shifts that occurred throughout each group's history. It also focuses on the evolutionary origin of humans, a topic that is crucial for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, one year after the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it also contains a wealth of information about geology and paleontology. The site offers several aspects that are quite impressive, including an overview of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to a PBS TV series but it could also be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides easy links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specialized features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks help users move from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies, which illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context and has many advantages over modern observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining processes and events that occur regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology allows to analyze the relative abundance of various groups of organisms and their distribution in space over the course of geological time.
The site is divided into different paths that can be chosen to gain knowledge about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also explores the most common misconceptions about 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 can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia resources, including animations, video clips and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the large web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it zooms in on a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to the broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial tool in understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of a Web site that offers both depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested "bread crumb" structure that helps students transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site closer to the world of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of assets related with evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos that are designed for use in classrooms. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique among living things and has a special place in creation with soul.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution can be triggered, with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.