How Do You Know If You're Prepared For Evolution Site
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution persist. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach effectively. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
Therefore, it is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a simple and efficient manner. It is an accompaniment to the 2001 series, but it is also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested manner which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the ways in which evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is the result of natural selection, which occurs when organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable traits.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
에볼루션 코리아 (groups of individuals that can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. 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 conditions, like climate change or competition for food resources and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the emergence of various groups of animals and plants and focuses on major changes within each group's past. It also examines the evolution of humans, which is a topic that is particularly important to students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, a year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is primarily one of biology however, it also has lots of information about paleontology and geology. The website has numerous features that are especially impressive, including the timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it could also be used as an educational source 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 funding) as well as the more specialized features of the museum website. These links facilitate the transition from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are 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 geographical context and offers many advantages over the modern observational and research methods for analyzing evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that take place regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology allows to study the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution across the geological time.
The website is divided into several options 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 misconceptions about evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that can support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site features a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships and their interactions with other organisms and zooms in to one clam, which is able communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes an overview of the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics which is a crucial method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that connects all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features 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. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page about John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, such as what causes evolution to occur and the speed at which it occurs. This is especially relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that claim that humanity is unique among living things and holds a an exclusive place in the creation, with a soul.
Additionally, there are a number of ways that evolution can be triggered, with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution like genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While many scientific fields of inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions have not.