Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about the evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This site, a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant to discussions on the nature of the word.
Therefore, it is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding 에볼루션코리아 provides this in an easy and helpful way. The site serves as a companion for the 2001 series, and also a resource of its own. The information is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other concepts in science. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and validated. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been created by the creationists.
It is also possible to get the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which 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 in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a variety of species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key shifts that occurred throughout the history of each group. It also examines the evolution of humans as a subject that is of particular interest to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, which was a year following the initial edition of The Origin.
The site is primarily a biology site however it also includes a lot of information on paleontology and geology. The site offers numerous features that are especially impressive, such as the timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television show, it also stands on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introductory content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. Particularly, there are links to John Endler's research with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to many species of animals, plants 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 studying processes and events that occur regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the diversity of species of organisms and their distribution in space over the geological time.
The website is divided into various paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the scientific process and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also reveals the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of educational levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site features an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive resources like video clips, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the large web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it gives a brief overview of coral relationships, their interaction with other organisms and then zooms in on a single clam, which is able communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a wide variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content 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 change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both depth and 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 allows students to move away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely related to the realms of research science. For example an animation that introduces the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web website, which includes an extensive multimedia library of assets connected to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven short videos intended for use in the classroom. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Many important questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly relevant for the evolution of humans which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul with the notion that our physical traits were derived from the apes.
In addition there are a variety of ways in which evolution could occur, with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study other types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among other things.
While many scientific fields of study have a 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. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.