7 Things You've Never Learned About Evolution Site
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution persist. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This site, a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources that support the evolution of education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate 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 that confuses it. This is especially true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful manner. It is a companion for the 2001 series, but it is also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a way that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and verified. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been propagated by the creationists.
It is also possible to get the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of hereditary traits to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is a result of natural selection, which happens when organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adapted characteristics.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. 에볼루션 바카라 무료 can be seen in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of factors 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 may be slowed or increased due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a variety of groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in the history of each group. It also focuses on the evolutionary origin of humans which is especially important for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when just a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is mostly a biology site however, it also has a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The most impressive features of the website are a timeline of events that illustrate the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time and an interactive map of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television series however, it can stand on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introduction information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specialized features of the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling cartoon 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 natural environment offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to exploring processes and events that take place frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology can be used to examine the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The site is divided up into different paths that can be chosen to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the complexities and evidence of evolution. The path also explores the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive content including video clips, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it zooms in on a single clam that can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that take place at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, offers a great introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion on the importance of natural selection and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of an Web site that offers both depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has an embedded "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely linked to the field of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this web site, which has an extensive multimedia library of items connected to evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined 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 in the midst of evolutionary biology, such as the factors that trigger evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is especially true for human evolution, where it has been difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans derived from apes, and the religions that believe that humans are unique among living things and holds a a special place in creation with soul.
Additionally there are a variety of ways in which evolution could occur, with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
While many scientific fields of study conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a source of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others haven't.