Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution persist. Pop science nonsense has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even some scientists have been guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is particularly relevant to discussions on the nature of the word.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient manner. The site serves as a companion for the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The content is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and verified. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been engendered by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that holds the information necessary for cell replication. 에볼루션사이트 is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food resources and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of various animal and plant groups, focusing on major transitions in each group's history. It also explores the evolutionary origin of humans which is crucial for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. 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. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was published in 1858, which was a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
The site is mostly a biology site however, it also has lots of information about geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the website are a timeline of events that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, as well as an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some of the fossil groups featured on the site.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a valuable resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specific features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has produced a diversity of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has numerous advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to examine the relative abundance of different kinds of organisms as well as their distribution in space over the geological time.
The website is divided into various paths that can be chosen to study the subject of evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution, and also 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 educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive content like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. It then concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to the broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis, an important tool to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth and a variety of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For example an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial selection experiments using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which has an extensive library of multimedia items connected to evolution. The contents are organized into curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven short videos designed for use in classrooms. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and how fast it happens. This is especially true for human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and has an exclusive place in the creation with soul.
There are also a number of other ways evolution can occur, with natural selection as the most popular theory. Scientists also study different types like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.