Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution persist. People who have absorbed the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a complement to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources that promote evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that can undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even employ a definition that 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. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in an easy and helpful way. The site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The material is presented in an organized manner that makes it simpler to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the way in which evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been engendered by creationists.
It is also possible to access the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to the environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
에볼루션 (also called common ancestor) 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 massive biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the source 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. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food resources and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development of various species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key changes that took place in the history of each group. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is of particular interest for students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when just a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, which was a year following the initial edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it also offers a lot of information about geology as well as paleontology. The Web site has several aspects that are quite impressive, such as an overview of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for the PBS television series, but it could also be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is extremely well organized and 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 links make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. 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 plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology focuses on not only processes and events that occur regularly or over time but also the relative abundance and distribution of various animal groups in space over the course of geological time.
The site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly constructed, with materials that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia resources that include animations, video clips and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation on the Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the coral's relationships and their interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in to one clam, which can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the conditions of the water that occur 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 variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a crucial tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that connects all branches of the field. A rich collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely tied to the world of research science. For instance an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web website, which includes an extensive multimedia library of resources related to evolution. 에볼루션 무료체험 is organized according to curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Many important questions remain at the core of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes with religions that believe that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation with a soul.
In addition there are a myriad of ways that evolution could be triggered with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study different types of evolution such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific study conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others aren't.