Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and avoid the kinds of myths that make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when it comes to debates about the nature of the word.
It is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
mouse click the up coming internet site defines terms such as common ancestor and gradual process. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relation to other concepts in science. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and verified. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become better suited to an environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors, including natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of gene pools. The development of a new species may take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed down or speeded up by environmental factors like climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution 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 evolutionary history of humans and humans, a subject that is crucial for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of 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 offers a lot of information about geology and paleontology. The website has a number of features that are especially impressive, such as a timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over the course of time. It also includes maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to a PBS television series, but it can also be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is well organized and provides clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum Web site. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not only processes and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space over the course of the geological time.
The website is divided into several paths that can be chosen to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the complexities and evidence of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions about evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site features an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive resources including videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation on the web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to the broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that binds all the branches of the field. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across all disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of an Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an embedded "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely linked to the field of research science. For example an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of resources that are associated with evolution. The content is organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that poses many important questions, such as what causes evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly true for human evolution, where it has been difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that hold that humans are unique in the universe and has an exclusive place in the creation. It is soul.
Additionally, there are a number of ways that evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a subject 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.