Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist regarding evolution. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists are saying they do not believe in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misinformation that can make it difficult to understand. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach well. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even scientists have been guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves.
As such, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a simple and efficient manner. The website 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 aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature and relationship of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the manner that evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of 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) The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species, it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together into long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution is evident through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes such as natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food or habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site follows the evolution of different groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also explores the evolutionary history of humans and humans, a subject that is particularly important for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the associated bones, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, 무료 에볼루션 just a year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is primarily one of biology however, it also has lots of information about paleontology and geology. Among the best features of the Web site are a set of timelines that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time and an outline of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
Although the site is a companion to the PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and has clear links between the introduction content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks make it easy to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies, which illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to many species 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 processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only processes and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals across geological time.
The Web site is divided into a variety of paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the scientific process and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The path also explores 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 support a variety levels of curriculum and teaching methods. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content that include animations, video clips and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the large web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that take place at the reef level. 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 which is a crucial method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all branches of the field. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web site that provides the depth and the wide range of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has an embedded "bread crumb" structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in the biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains an area of study that has many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly true in the case of human evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul, with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits evolved from apes.
In addition there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most popular theory. Scientists also study different types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.