Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions persist about evolution. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources that promote evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant to debates about the definition of the word itself.
Therefore, it is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in an easy and helpful manner. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested fashion that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the ways the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become better suited to an environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains the information necessary for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of factors such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food resources and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a variety of species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major changes that took place in the history of each group. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is of particular interest for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the associated bones were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, one year after the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it contains a wealth of information about geology as well as paleontology. Among the best features on the site are a series of timelines which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time and an interactive map of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
The site is a companion for the PBS TV series but it can 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 support) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's research with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has a number of advantages over modern observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology can examine not only the process and events that occur regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided up into several paths that can be chosen to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally well constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the general textual content, the site features a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the large Web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms, then narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a wide variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis, an important tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that weaves together all the branches of the field. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an "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 related to the realms of research science. For instance an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive multimedia library of resources related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning goals established in the biology standards. It includes seven short videos that are designed for classroom use. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is a field of study with a lot of important questions, such as what causes evolution and Www.Evolutionkr.Kr the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religious beliefs that hold that humans are unique in the universe and has an exclusive place in the creation, with a soul.
There are also a number of other ways evolution can take place and natural selection being the most well-known theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
Although many scientific fields of study conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a source of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.