Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions regarding evolution. People who have taken in the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's organized in the "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and challenging subject to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when it comes to discussions on the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore important 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 site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The material is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the ways in which evolution has been examined. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the process of changing hereditary traits to become better suited to an environment. This is due to natural selection, which occurs when organisms that are better-adapted characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
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 identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes can be caused by numerous factors, like 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 or habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the emergence of various animal and plant groups and focuses on major changes within each group's past. It also explores the evolutionary origin of humans and humans, a subject that is especially important for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap when it was published in 1858, one year following the initial edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly a biology site however, it also has a lot of information on paleontology and geology. The website has numerous aspects that are quite impressive, including a timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to the PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers easy links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links make it easier to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their geological context is a superior method of study over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology allows to examine the relative abundance of various groups of organisms and their distribution in space over geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia content, including video clips, animations and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms, then narrows down to a single clam that can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that take place 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 the broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an explanation of the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. 에볼루션 바카라 of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides depth and broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has 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 more closely linked to the world of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of assets related to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly true for the evolution of humans, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul with the notion that our physical traits were derived from the apes.
There are also a number of other ways evolution could occur, with natural selection as the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds 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 particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.