Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of 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 site, which is a complement to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to teach evolution well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in an easy and helpful way. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The information is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and relationship of evolution to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the ways the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the process of changing hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is a result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms with better adapted traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. By analyzing the DNA from these species, it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of factors, including natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of genes. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals, focusing on major transitions within each group's past. It also focuses on the human evolutionary roots which is crucial for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap when it was published in 1858, a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however it also includes a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The Web site has a number of features that are especially impressive, including a timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for a PBS TV series but it could be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and has clear links between the introduction information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum Web site. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research 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 natural environment and has a number of advantages over the current observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. In addition to exploring the processes and events that happen regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution throughout the geological time.
The website is divided into several options to gain knowledge about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site has a range of multimedia and interactive resources, including videos, animations, and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the massive website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms and zooms in to one clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, offers a great introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The content includes an explanation of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics, an important tool for understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides depth and breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are closer to the world of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive multimedia library of assets connected to evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos that are designed for use in classrooms. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
A number of important questions remain at the core of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes, and the religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and holds a an enviable place in creation with soul.
There are also 에볼루션 바카라 무료 of other ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study different types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among other things.
While many scientific fields of inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, but others haven't.