What Is The Evolution Site Term And How To Utilize It
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists don't believe 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 hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to teach evolution well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant to debates about the meaning of the word itself.
As such, it is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful way. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in a nested fashion which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the ways in which evolution has been examined. 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:
Adaptation: The tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. evolutionkr.kr with better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that holds the information required 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 relation between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) change by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals, focusing on major transitions in each group's past. It also focuses on the evolutionary history of humans, a topic that is especially important for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap when it was published in 1858, one year after the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however it also includes lots of information about geology and paleontology. The most impressive features of the Web site are a series of timelines that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, as well as an outline of the distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show but it also stands on its own as a valuable resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides easy links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. Particularly there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research with Guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has produced a diversity of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers many advantages over the modern observational and research 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 relative abundance of various kinds of organisms as well as their distribution across geological time.
The site is divided up into several options to gain knowledge about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the nature and evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution and the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the standard textual content, the site also has an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive resources like video clips, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms, then narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions that take place at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a wide range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes a discussion on the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis, an important tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A wide range of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students move 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 artificial-selection experiments with guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia items connected to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as the factors that trigger evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans 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.
There are a variety of other ways in which evolution can occur and natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study other types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolutionary biology, but others haven't.