Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution remain. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a companion to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to teach evolution well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly relevant when discussing the definition of the words.
It is essential to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The information is organized in a manner that makes it simpler to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other scientific concepts. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be 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 survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. mouse click the up coming post can be identified by analyzing the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species, where the evolutionary changes of one species influence evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species may take thousands of years and the process can be slowed down or speeded up by environmental conditions such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a variety of animal and plant groups through time and focuses on the most significant transitions that occurred in the history of each group. It also focuses on the evolutionary history of humans which is crucial for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it also contains a wealth of information about geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the website are a set of timelines that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, as well as an interactive map of the distribution of a few fossil groups listed on the site.
Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized components of the museum's 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. In particular, there are links to John Endler's experiments with Guppies that demonstrate the importance of 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 many advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology can be used to examine the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution throughout the geological time.
click the following article is divided into several options to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the complexities and evidence of evolution. The path also explores the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site includes a variety of multimedia and interactive resources which include animations, video clips and virtual laboratories as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. It then narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions 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 wide range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics which is a crucial tool to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all branches of the field. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across the disciplines of life science.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely linked to the world of research science. For example an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning goals established in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically intended for use in the classroom. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study that poses many important questions to answer, such as what causes evolution and how quickly it occurs. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile the notion that the innate physical characteristics of humans derived from apes with religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has an exclusive place in the creation with soul.
There are also a number of other ways in which evolution can occur, with natural selection as the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types such as genetic drift, and sexual selection.
Although many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others have not.