Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even some scientists are guilty of using definitions that confuse the issue. This is particularly relevant when discussing the meaning of the words themselves.
It is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in an easy and helpful manner. The site is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The information is presented in an organized manner that makes it simpler to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other concepts in science. The website provides a summary of the manner the concept of evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the process of changing heritable traits to become more suitable to their environment. 에볼루션카지노사이트 is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) change through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of genes. The development of a new species could take thousands of years and the process can be slowed down or accelerated by environmental conditions such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of various species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots and humans, a subject that is particularly important for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the associated bones were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, one year following the initial edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it also includes a good deal of information on geology and paleontology. Among the best features on the site are a timeline of events that illustrate how climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, and an outline of the distribution of a few fossil groups listed on the site.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it could also be used as a resource by teachers and students. The site is very well organized and provides 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's web site. These hyperlinks make it easy to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments using Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced many species 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 of examining evolutionary processes. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to study the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution across the course of geological time.
The site is divided into various paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the scientific process and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site has a range of multimedia and interactive resources that include animations, video clips and virtual laboratories as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, provides an excellent introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis 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 of resources helps teachers teach 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 breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that allows students to move away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely linked to the worlds of research science. For instance an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which contains an extensive collection of multimedia items that are related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in the biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is particularly relevant for the evolution of humans, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits originated from apes.
Additionally there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could occur with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among other things.
Although many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions have not.