Evolution Site Strategies That Will Change Your Life
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the evolution. People who have been exposed to pop science nonsense often assume that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and avoid the kinds of myths that make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is especially relevant to debates about the nature of the word.
Therefore, it is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient way. The site is both a companion for the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested fashion which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other scientific concepts. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the way in which evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of heritable 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 traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. The changes can be triggered by a variety of causes, including natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The development of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process may be slowed down or speeded up by environmental conditions such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of various groups of animals and plants over time, focusing on the major transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also focuses on the evolutionary history of humans which is especially important for students to comprehend.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when only a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones associated with it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is mostly a biology site however it also includes lots of information about geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features on the site are a timeline of events that illustrate the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, and a map of the geographical distribution of some of the fossil groups featured on the site.
Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a valuable resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides clear links to the introduction material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) as well as the more specialized features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are 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 resulted in a variety of animals, plants, and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological context, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods of studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only processes and events that happen regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals across the geological time.
The site is divided into several routes that can be taken to learn about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety levels of curriculum and teaching methods. In addition to general textual content, the site features an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources including videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. 에볼루션 코리아 -like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the large web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it gives a brief overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in to one clam that is able communicate with its neighbors and respond 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, offers a great introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that weaves together all the branches of the field. A vast collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely tied to the field of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive library of multimedia items related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it has been difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that claim that humanity is unique among living things and holds a a special place in creation, with soul.
Additionally, there are a number of ways that evolution can occur and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study different types like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
Many fields of inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.