Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about the evolution. People who have taken in pop science nonsense often assume that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a complement to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to properly teach evolution. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even some scientists use an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially true when discussing the meaning of the words themselves.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful way. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the manner the concept of evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been propagated by creationists.
It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be better suited to an environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular containing the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolutionary changes of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety such as natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The development of a new species could take thousands of years and the process can be slowed down or accelerated by environmental conditions such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces through time the emergence of various groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also explores human evolution as a subject that is of particular interest to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, which was a year following the initial edition of The Origin.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however, it also has a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are particularly impressive, including the timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for the PBS TV series but it could also be used as a resource by teachers and students. The site is extremely well organized and provides 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. 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 led to a wide variety of animals, plants, and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological environment offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods for exploring evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring the processes and events that happen regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution of thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally well developed, with materials that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers an array of interactive and multimedia resources, such as videos, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the vast Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in to a single clam, which is able communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages gives a good introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that connects all branches of the field. A vast collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has an embedded "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For example, an animation introducing the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that focuses on John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of assets related to evolution. The contents are organized into curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning goals established in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos designed for use in classrooms. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study with a lot of important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is especially true for human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical traits of humans evolved from apes, and the religions that believe that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation, with a soul.
Additionally there are 에볼루션코리아 of ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs to evolution but others haven't.