Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about the evolution. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists are saying they do not 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 kinds of misconceptions which undermine it. It's organized 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 even by non-scientists, and even scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially true when it comes to discussions about the definition of the word itself.
As such, 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 website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested manner that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, the gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and validated. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable characteristics to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is the result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms that are better-adapted characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
에볼루션 카지노 사이트 : The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together into long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed), evolve through a series natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species can take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed or increased due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of various groups of animals and plants over time, focusing on the major transitions that occurred in the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the evolutionary origin of humans and humans, a subject that is especially important for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, along with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, a year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it's very unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is primarily one of biology however, it also has lots of information about paleontology and geology. One of the most appealing features of the Web site are a timeline of events that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, and an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it can be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introduction information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specialized features of the museum website. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly, there are links to John Endler's research with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their natural environment, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not just the processes and events that happen frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of various animal groups across the geological time.
The Web site is divided into various pathways to understanding evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions regarding evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that are suited to a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to general textual content, the site features an array of multimedia and interactive resources like videos, animations and virtual labs. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates 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 interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics analysis which is a crucial tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A rich collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both depth and wide range of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely linked to the field of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics 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 web website, which includes an extensive library of multimedia items related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning goals set forth in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that has many important questions to answer, such as what causes evolution and how quickly it happens. This is especially relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and holds a an enviable place in creation. It is soul.
There are also a number of other ways in which evolution can take place and natural selection being the most well-known theory. Scientists also study different types like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.