Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution remain. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach effectively. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly relevant when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The information is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and significance of evolution with other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and validated. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less-adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By studying the DNA of these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed), evolve through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species can take thousands of years and the process could be slowed or increased by environmental factors like climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of various species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key changes that took place in each group's history. It also explores the evolutionary history of humans, a topic that is particularly important for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when just a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap when it was published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
The site is mostly one of biology however, it also has lots of information about paleontology and geology. The site offers a number of aspects that are quite impressive, such as the timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. 에볼루션 바카라 무료 includes a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introductory content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) and the more specific features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easy to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds 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 has produced many species of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological context offers many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to exploring the processes and events that happen regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to analyze the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The website is divided into several routes that can be taken to study the subject of evolution. 에볼루션 바카라 사이트 of the paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that support a variety educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to general textual content, the site offers a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources including videos, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast Web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms, then zooms in on a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in water conditions that occur at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, gives a good introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The information also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial method to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely linked to the fields of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics is linked to a page about John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is a field of study that poses many important questions to answer, such as the causes of evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly relevant in the case of human evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special place in the creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits originated from the apes.
Additionally, there are a number of ways in which evolution could be triggered, with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study other types of evolution such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, other religions aren't.