Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
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 especially true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient manner. The site serves as an accompanying site for the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. The content is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other concepts in science. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been propagated by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the process of changing heritable traits to be more suited to the environment. This is due to natural selection, which occurs when organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more species. By analyzing 에볼루션 게이밍 from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species, where the evolutionary changes of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors that include natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of genes. The evolution of a new species may take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site follows the evolution of different groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes in each group's history. It also examines the evolutionary origin of humans which is particularly important for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, which was a year after the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly an online biology resource however it also includes many details on geology and paleontology. The site offers a number of features that are particularly impressive, such as an overview of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show, 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 introduction content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling 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 with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological environment, has many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not only processes and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of various animal groups in space throughout geological time.
The website is divided into different routes that can be taken to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution theory's history.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site offers an array of multimedia and interactive content including video clips, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. It then concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions that take place at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, provides an excellent introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is an important method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across the disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of an Web site that offers both the depth and breadth of its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely tied to the field of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics is linked to a page about John Endler's experiments with 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 multimedia library of assets related to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. They 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 the speed at which it happens. This is especially relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes with religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and holds a a special place in creation with soul.
Additionally, there are a number of ways in which evolution could be triggered, with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, 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.