10 Healthy Evolution Site Habits
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. People who have been exposed to popular science myths often assume that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach well. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists, and even scientists are guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially relevant when discussing the meaning of the words themselves.
As such, it is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful manner. It is a companion for the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. 에볼루션 블랙잭 is organized in a manner that makes it simpler to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and confirmed. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been engendered by the creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become better suited to an environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less-adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The development of a new species can take thousands of years and the process can be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of various groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key changes that took place in the history of each group. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is of particular interest to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap when it was published in 1858, one year after the first edition of The Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it also includes a good deal of information about geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are especially impressive, including an overview of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides easy links to the introductory content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies, which 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 is a superior method of study over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to analyze the relative abundance of various kinds of organisms as well as their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that are suited to a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. In addition to the standard textual content, the site features an array of multimedia and interactive content, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the large website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it gives a brief overview of coral relationships, their interaction with other organisms and then is enlarged to show one clam, which can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial tool in understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together 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 the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web site that provides the depth and the wide range of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that allows students to move away from the cartoon-like style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely connected to the worlds of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly relevant in the case of human evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits were derived from Apes.
Additionally there are a variety of ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection is the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions aren't.