Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution persist. People who have taken in the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that can make it difficult to understand. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly applicable to discussions on the nature of the word.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful way. It is a companion for the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested manner which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the manner the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to access a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed), evolve through a series of 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 development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food resources and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is particularly important to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, along with the associated bones, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. 에볼루션 슬롯 is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap when it was published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it includes a good deal of information on geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site are a timeline of events which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions changed over time, as well as an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
Although Read More Listed here is a companion piece to the PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides clear links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) as well as the more specialized features of the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological environment, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only processes and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups across the geological time.
The site is divided up into various options to learn about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader 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, with materials that can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to the general textual content, the site offers an array of interactive and multimedia resources, such as videos, animations and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive web site.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. It then concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key method for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A vast collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of an Web site that provides depth and a variety of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are closer to the field of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive library of multimedia resources related to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It contains seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
A number of important questions remain at the core of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes with religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and has an enviable place in creation. It is soul.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution could occur, with natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
Although many scientific fields of study conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, other religions haven't.