Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions persist regarding evolution. People who have taken in the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists do not believe in evolution.
This site, a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which hinder it. It's organized in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to teach evolution well. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists use definitions that confuse the issue. This is especially relevant to discussions on the meaning of the word itself.
It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient manner. The website is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The material is presented in a nested fashion which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the manner the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the process of changing heritable traits to be more suitable to their environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adapted traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is contained in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of factors such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as changes in the climate or competition for food resources and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of various species of plants and animals, focusing on major transitions within each group's past. It also explores human evolution as a subject that is of particular interest for students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the associated bones were 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, just one year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it also contains a wealth of information about geology as well as paleontology. The site offers several aspects that are quite impressive, such as an overview of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece 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 provides clear links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specialized features of the museum website. These hyperlinks make it easy to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are links 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 animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has a number of advantages over the modern observational and research methods of examining evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that occur regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different groups of animals in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided into several optional ways to learn about evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia content, including videos, animations, and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the large web site.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages gives a good introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes a discussion on the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the disciplines of life science.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that offers both depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely related to the worlds of research science. For instance, an animation introducing the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this web website, which includes an extensive multimedia library of resources connected to evolution. The contents are organized into curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that poses many important questions, including what triggers evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes with religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has an exclusive place in the creation. 에볼루션 게이밍 is soul.
Additionally, there are a number of ways that evolution can occur, with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among other things.
Many fields of inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others haven't.