Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich Web site, a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to properly teach evolution. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject and some scientists employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The information is presented in an organized manner that makes it simpler to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms like common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other concepts in science. The website provides a summary of the manner the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to become better suited to an environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. 에볼루션코리아 are the source of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. The changes can be triggered by a variety that include natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of genes. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed down or accelerated due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of various groups of animals and plants over time and focuses on the most significant transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is of particular interest to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be 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 an online biology resource however, it also has lots of information about geology and paleontology. The most impressive features of the website are a timeline of events that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, and a map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
Although the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and offers clear links between the introductory content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum's web site. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. Particularly there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments using guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geographical context and offers numerous advantages over the modern observational and research methods for analyzing evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that occur regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different groups of animals in space over the course of the geological time.
The Web site is divided into various paths to learning evolution, including "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 reveals the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. In addition to general textual content, the site offers a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the large website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in on a single clam, which can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a wide range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool in understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across the disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web site that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features an embedded "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 world of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page about John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this website, which includes an extensive multimedia library of items related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning goals set forth in the biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile that the physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes, and the religious beliefs that claim that humanity is unique among living things and has an exclusive place in the creation, with soul.
Additionally there are a variety of ways in which evolution could occur with natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
Although many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations found in 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 ideas of evolution, others have not.