Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. People who have been exposed to the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and avoid the kinds of myths that undermine it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when it comes to discussions about the meaning of the word itself.
Therefore, it is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in an easy and helpful manner. It is a companion for the 2001 series, and it is also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature and relationship of evolution with other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and verified. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for 무료에볼루션 (https://evolutionkr.Kr/) the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of causes, including natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of genes. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate change or competition for food resources and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of various species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also focuses on human evolution, which is a topic of particular importance to students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 at 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 first published in 1858, one year following the initial edition of The Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it offers a lot of information about geology as well as paleontology. One of the most appealing features on the site are a timeline of events that show how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time as well as a map of the distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
The site is a companion for the PBS television series, but it could also be used as an educational resource for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and offers clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies. They 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 natural environment and has a number of advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to analyze the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution across the course of geological time.
The site is divided up into several routes that can be taken to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution as well as the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site has a range of multimedia and interactive resources which include video clips, animations and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the large website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms, and then is enlarged to show one clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages provides an excellent introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an explanation of the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics as a key tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that binds all the branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across the disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of an Web site that offers both depth and a variety of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features a "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely connected to the realms of research science. For instance, an animation introducing the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized into curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven short videos intended for use in the classroom. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
A number of important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it occurs. This is particularly relevant for the evolution of humans where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in the creation and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits evolved from the apes.
There are a myriad of other ways in which evolution can take place, with natural selection as the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift, and sexual selection.
Many fields of inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others have not.
