Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's organized 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. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly applicable to discussions about the nature of the word.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a simple and efficient way. The site serves as a companion for the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested manner that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and significance of evolution to other concepts in science. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and validated. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been propagated by creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to become more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) change through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The development of a new species can take thousands of years and the process can be slowed or increased due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different animal and plant groups with a focus on major changes in each group's history. It also focuses on human evolution, which is a topic that is of particular interest for students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when only a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it includes a good deal of information about geology as well as paleontology. The Web site has a number of aspects that are quite impressive, including an overview of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also features maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to the PBS TV series but it could also be used as a source for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and offers clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum Web site. These links facilitate the transition from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are 에볼루션 사이트 to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They illustrate the importance ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has produced a diversity of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological context, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that take place regularly or over time but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided into a variety of pathways to understanding evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also examines myths regarding evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly created, with resources that can be used to support a range of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia resources that include video clips, animations and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the vast web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships and their interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in on a single clam, which can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages provides an excellent introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources can help 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 offers both depth and a variety of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features a "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the worlds of research science. For instance, an animation introducing the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page highlighting John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which has an extensive collection of multimedia items connected to evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is a field of study that poses many important questions, including what triggers evolution and how fast it takes place. This is especially true in the case of human evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits evolved from the apes.
In addition, there are a number of ways that evolution could be triggered with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific study are in conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.