A The Complete Guide To Evolution Site From Beginning To End
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 don't believe evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which make it difficult to understand. It's organized 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 have been guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially relevant when discussing the meaning 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 way. The site is both an accompanying site for the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the manner that evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
에볼루션게이밍 evolutionkr : The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species may take thousands of years, and the process may be slowed or increased by environmental factors like climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also explores the human evolutionary roots and humans, a subject that is crucial for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was published in 1858, which was a year after the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is primarily a biology site however it also includes lots of information about geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site are a timeline of events that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, and a map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers 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 Web site. These links make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has resulted in an array of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers numerous advantages over modern observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary phenomena. In addition to studying processes and events that occur frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology can be used to analyze the relative abundance of various groups of organisms and their distribution across geological time.
The site is divided up into several routes that can be taken to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution of thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia content, including animations, video clips and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive website.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a wide variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all branches of the field. A rich collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of a Web site that provides the depth and breadth of its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested "bread crumb" structure that helps students transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely linked to the world of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized according to the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It contains seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
A number of important questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly true for the evolution of humans which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in creation and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits evolved from the apes.
There are a variety of other ways evolution could occur, with natural selection as the most well-known theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While many scientific fields of inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.