7 Things You've Never Learned About Evolution Site
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about evolution. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists do not believe in evolution.
This site, a companion to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which undermine it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's difficult to properly teach evolution. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore essential to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested manner which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and validated. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been created by creationists.
It is also possible to find the 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 due to natural selection, which happens when organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted characteristics.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestral ancestor shared by two or more species. By studying the DNA of these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Suggested Resource site are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species where evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate changes or competition for food and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of various groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes in each group's history. Suggested Resource site focuses on human evolution, which is a topic that is of particular interest for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. One of them was the infamous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, one year after the first edition of The Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it offers a lot of information on geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site 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 a few fossil groups that are featured on the site.
The site is a companion for the PBS television series, but it can also be used as a resource 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 assistance) and the more specific features of the museum website. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has a number of advantages over the current observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining processes and events that occur regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology can be used to examine the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution in space over geological time.
The site is divided into different routes that can be taken to study the subject of evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the complexities and evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally well developed, with materials that can be used to support a range of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia resources that include video clips, animations and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the large website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms and zooms in to a single clam, which can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that occur on 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 range of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes a discussion on the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics, an important tool to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that runs through all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are closer to the field of research science. For instance an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this website, which includes an extensive collection of multimedia assets related to evolution. you can try this out is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos intended for use in the classroom. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is particularly true for humans' evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul, with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits originated from apes.
There are also a number of other ways evolution could occur, with natural selection as the most popular theory. Scientists also study different types such as genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific study conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others haven't.