Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution remain. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of myths that make it difficult to understand. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly applicable to debates about the definition of the word itself.
It is therefore essential to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient way. It is a companion for the 2001 series, and it is also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the ways in which evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been propagated by the creationists.
It is also possible to access the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suited to a particular environment. This is due to natural selection. It occurs when organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species, it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that contains the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form 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 evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed), evolve through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species may take thousands of years and the process can be slowed down or accelerated due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a variety of groups of animals and plants over time and focuses on the most significant shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the evolutionary history of humans which is crucial for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. click the following article among them was the skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just a year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is mostly an online biology resource, but it also contains a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The website has a number of aspects that are quite impressive, such as a timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television series but it also stands on its own as an excellent source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) and the more specific features of the museum website. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. In particular, there are links to John Endler's experiments with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of 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 current observational and experimental methods of examining evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring the processes and events that happen regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology can be used to examine the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution across geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the science of nature and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to general textual content, the site offers an array of multimedia and interactive resources including video clips, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms, then narrows down to a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that take place 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 also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool in understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that connects all the branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all life science disciplines.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of a Web site that provides depth and a variety of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely linked to the world of research science. For example, an animation introducing the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of resources that are associated to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It contains seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. They can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that has many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how quickly it happens. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religions that believe that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation. It is soul.
There are a variety of other ways evolution could occur and natural selection being the most well-known theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among other things.
While many scientific fields of study are in conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others haven't.