Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding evolution. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources that promote evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even some scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially true when discussing the definition of the words.
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 manner. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The information is presented in a structured manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and relationship of evolution to other concepts in science. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and confirmed. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection. 에볼루션 that have 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 shared by two or more species. By studying the DNA of these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that holds 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 responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed) change through a series natural changes in their offspring's traits. 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 can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as changes in the climate or competition for food resources and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a variety of animal and plant groups through time and focuses on the most significant transitions that occurred in the history of each group. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is of particular interest for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The most famous among them was the skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap when it was published in 1858, which was a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly an online biology resource however it also includes lots of information about paleontology and geology. The most impressive features of the Web site are a timeline of events which 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.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television show but it also stands on its own as an excellent resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers easy links to the introductory information 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 facilitate the transition from the cartoon-like 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 demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced an array of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers numerous advantages over the modern observational and research methods of examining evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not just the processes and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different groups of animals in space over the course of geological time.
The site is divided into various options to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions regarding evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site includes a variety of multimedia and interactive resources that include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the massive web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. just click the following document , along with the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, gives a good introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes an explanation of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics which is a crucial tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A vast collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of a Web site that offers both depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also features an embedded "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For example an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this website, which includes an extensive library of multimedia items related to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning goals established in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still an area of study that poses many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is especially true in the case of human evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a special place in the creation and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits were derived from the apes.
In addition there are a myriad of ways that evolution can be triggered with natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other types such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of inquiry have a conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others haven't.