Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution remain. 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 offers teachers with resources that support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject to teach well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is especially relevant when it comes to the definition of the words.
As such, it is essential to define terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful 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 which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and gradual process. These terms help to define the nature and significance of evolution to other concepts in science. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and verified. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been propagated by creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to the environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestral ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed), evolve through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are various factors, including natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process may be slowed down or speeded up by environmental conditions such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site follows the evolution of various species of plants and animals, focusing on major transitions within each group's past. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is particularly important to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. One of them was the infamous 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 first published in 1858, one year following the initial edition of The Origin.
The site is primarily a biology site however it also includes many details on geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are particularly impressive, such as a timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also has an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for the PBS television series, but it could also be used as an educational source for teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks make it easy to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms 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 is the study of these creatures within their natural environment, has many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of various groups of organisms and their distribution across geological time.
The Web site is divided into various ways to learn about evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the evolution of thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that can be used to support a range of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia resources that include video clips, animations and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the vast web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. It then narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that take place at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, offers a great introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics which is a crucial tool for understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that connects all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that provides the depth and breadth of its 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 massive website that are closer to the world of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this web website, which includes an extensive collection of multimedia resources that are related to evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for classroom use, which can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study with a lot of important questions, including what triggers evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly relevant for the evolution of humans, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct position in the universe and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits evolved from apes.
There are a variety of other ways evolution can take place and natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other types like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
Although 에볼루션 룰렛 of study have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions have not.