Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions persist about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources that promote evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can hinder it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to teach evolution well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially applicable to debates about 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 serves as an accompaniment to the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The material is presented in an organized way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help define the nature and significance of evolution with other scientific concepts. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and verified. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been propagated by the creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable characteristics to become more suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection, which occurs when organisms with better adapted characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) is the most recent ancestral ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information necessary for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences 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 relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes are caused by a variety of factors, including natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as changes in the climate or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces through time the emergence of various groups of animals and plants and focuses on major changes within each group's past. It also focuses on human evolution and is a subject that is of particular interest for students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, just a year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
The site is mostly a biology site, but it also contains a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The most impressive features of the website are a set of timelines that show how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, as well as an outline of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
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 very well organized and 에볼루션 바카라 사이트 provides clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks make it easier to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies. They illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to an array of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their natural environment and has a number of advantages over the current observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not only the process and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different groups of animals across 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 nature of science and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that can support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site also has a wide range of multimedia and interactive content including videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the large web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and interactions with other organisms and then zooms in to a single clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a wide spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a crucial method to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that connects all the branches of the field. A vast collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of an Web site that offers both depth and a variety of educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "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 linked to the field of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive collection of multimedia resources that are related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning goals set forth in the biology standards. It contains seven videos that are designed for classroom use. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that poses many important questions, such as the causes of evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is especially true for human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes and religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and has a special place in creation. It is a soul.
There are a variety of other ways evolution can take place, with natural selection as the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study different types like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific study have a conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions haven't.