Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists are saying they do not believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that promote evolution education and avoid the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when it comes to discussions about the definition of the word itself.
It is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful way. The site serves as an accompaniment to the 2001 series, and also a resource of its own. The material is organized in a manner that makes it simpler to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and validated. This information can help dispel myths that are created by the creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. 에볼루션 사이트 is the result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the information needed for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) evolve through a series of natural changes in the characteristics 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 new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food or habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key shifts that occurred throughout each group's history. It also explores the evolutionary history of humans and humans, a subject that is crucial for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. One of them was the infamous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it is very unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it offers a lot of information about geology as well as paleontology. The Web site has a number of features that are especially impressive, such as a timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also includes an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as an excellent source for teachers and students. 에볼루션 사이트 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 specialized features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are links to John Endler's experiments using guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of animals, plants, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has numerous advantages over modern observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that take place regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the relative abundance of various groups of organisms and their distribution in space over the geological time.
The site is divided into different routes that can be taken to study the subject of evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
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, including animations, video clips and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the large website.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. It then zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in water conditions that take place at the level of the reef. 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 explanation of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial tool for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across the disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both depth as well as breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon-like style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely connected to the realms of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics, which links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which contains an extensive multimedia library of items connected to evolution. The content is organized according to the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed for classroom use. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is a field of study that has many important questions, including the causes of evolution and how quickly it happens. This is particularly true in the case of human evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul with the notion that our physical traits evolved from Apes.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution could occur and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study different types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
Many fields of inquiry are in conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, but others haven't.