Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution remain. People who have absorbed the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.

This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.

Definitions

Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists use an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially true when it comes to debates about the meaning of the word itself.

It is therefore essential to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful way. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The content is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.

The site defines terms like common ancestor 에볼루션 바카라 사이트 (http://Povoq.Moe:1145/evolution4680) and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.

You can also consult a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:

Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to reproduce and survive.

Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is 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 contains information required for 에볼루션 바카라 무료 cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information within cells.

Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host.

Origins

Species (groups that can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. The causes of these changes are numerous factors, like natural selection, 에볼루션 바카라바카라사이트 (Chenyf123.Top) gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food or habitat can impede or accelerate the process.

The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of various groups of animals and plants and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also examines the evolutionary history of humans which is particularly important for students to know.

When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, one year after the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.

While the site focuses on biology, it also includes a good deal of information about geology as well as paleontology. One of the most appealing features of the Web site are a series of timelines that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, and an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.

Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television show but it also stands on its own as an excellent resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links between the introductory content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum Web site. These hyperlinks help users 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, 에볼루션 바카라사이트 which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life has led to many species of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology can examine not only processes and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and 에볼루션코리아 distribution of different species of animals in space throughout the geological time.

The website is divided into several routes that can be taken to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the complexities and evidence of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution as well as 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. The site offers a wide array of multimedia and interactive resources which include video clips, animations and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the vast Web site.

For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, offers a great introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is an important tool in understanding evolutionary change.

Evolutionary Theory

Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.

One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of an Web site that provides depth and a variety of educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely linked to the world of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.

Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this website, which includes an extensive collection of multimedia resources related to evolution. The contents are organized into curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos specifically intended for use in the classroom. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.

Evolutionary biology is an area of study that has many important questions, including what triggers evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes with religions that believe that humans are unique among living things and has an exclusive place in the creation, with soul.

Additionally, there are a number of ways in which evolution could be triggered, with natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.

While many scientific fields of study conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, others haven't.