Why Everyone Is Talking About Evolution Site This Moment
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions persist regarding evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
It's not easy to teach evolution well. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists have been guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially relevant when discussing the definition of the words.
It is therefore essential to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a simple and efficient manner. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. 에볼루션 바카라 사이트 provides an overview of the way the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been engendered by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suited to a particular environment. This is the result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms that are better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. By studying the DNA of these species, it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of factors such as natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The development of new species can 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 traces through time the evolution of different groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes in each group's past. It also examines the human evolutionary roots, a topic that is especially important for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it offers a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The Web site has numerous features that are particularly impressive, such as the timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also includes an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to a PBS television series, but it could be used as a 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) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has many advantages over the modern observational and research methods of examining evolutionary phenomena. In addition to studying the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology can be used to analyze the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution in space over the geological time.
The website is divided into various paths to learning evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that can be used to support a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. The site has a range of multimedia and interactive resources that include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the vast Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms and zooms in to one clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes an overview of the role of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A vast collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth and broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely connected to the fields of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics, which links to a page about John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this website, which includes an extensive library of multimedia resources related to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is still an area of study with a lot of important questions, including the causes of evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is particularly true in the case of human 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 idea that innate physical traits originated from Apes.
Additionally there are a variety of ways that evolution could occur and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions haven't.