Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist regarding evolution. People who have taken in the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources which support evolution education and avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even some scientists use an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially relevant to discussions on the meaning of the word itself.
It is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient manner. It is a companion for the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. 무료 에볼루션 is presented in a nested fashion that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the way that evolution has been tested. 에볼루션사이트 can be used to dispel the myths that have been propagated by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be more suitable to their environment. This is the result of natural selection, which happens when organisms that have better adapted characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted characteristics.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains the information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Coevolution is evident through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
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 that include natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of genes. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like changes in the climate or competition for food or habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a variety of groups of animals and plants over time, focusing on the major changes that took place in each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots and humans, a subject that is crucial for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it contains a wealth of information on geology and paleontology. The site offers several features that are particularly impressive, including an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also includes an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show, it also stands on its own as an excellent source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introduction information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easy to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context and has a number of advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to examine the diversity of kinds of organisms as well as their distribution in space over the course of geological time.
The site is divided into various paths that can be chosen to learn about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia content that include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms and then is enlarged to show a single clam, which is able communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in 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 wide range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides an explanation of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is an important tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all the branches of the field. 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 an Web site that provides the depth and breadth of its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are closer to the field of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics is linked to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive collection of multimedia assets that are related to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in the biology standards. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study with a lot of important questions, such as the causes of evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly relevant in the case of human evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul, with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits originated from the apes.
In addition, there are a number of ways that evolution could be triggered with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others.
Many fields of inquiry have a conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, others haven't.