Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding evolution. People who have taken in popular science myths often assume that biologists claim they do not believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to effectively teach evolution. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists employ a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when it comes to discussions on the definition of the word itself.
Therefore, it is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a straightforward and useful manner. The site is a companion site to the series that first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The information is organized in a manner that makes it easier to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the manner the concept of evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been engendered by the creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
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 characteristics are more likely than those with less-adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the necessary information for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) change through an array of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years and the process could be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of various animal and plant groups through time and focuses on the most significant changes that took place in the history of each group. It also explores the evolutionary history of humans which is crucial for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the associated bones were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap when it was published in 1858, which was a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it contains a wealth of information on geology and paleontology. The site offers a number of features that are particularly impressive, such as the timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also has an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to the PBS television series, but it could be used as a source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks help users move from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers numerous advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not only processes and events that occur regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space throughout geological time.
The site is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the science of nature and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that are suited to a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content which include video clips, animations and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it provides an overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in on 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 multimedia and interactive pages, provides an excellent introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a crucial method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site offers a 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 more closely linked to the world of research science. For example an animation that introduces the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this website, which includes an extensive library of multimedia assets that are related to evolution. The content is organized into the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in the biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study with a lot of important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how quickly it takes place. This is particularly true in the case of human evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique position in the universe and a soul, with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits evolved from the apes.
Additionally there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could occur with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. 에볼루션 바카라사이트 study different types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
Many fields of inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs to evolution but others haven't.