Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution persist. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves.
It is therefore important to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but also functions as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested fashion that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, the gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help define the nature and relationship of evolution to other concepts in science. The website provides a summary of the ways in which evolution has been examined. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable characteristics 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 traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestral ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of 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 are the interactions between predator and prey, or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors that include natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate changes or competition for 에볼루션게이밍 food and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the emergence of various species of plants and animals and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also examines the evolutionary origin of humans, a topic that is crucial for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. One of them was the infamous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just one year after the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is highly unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
While the site focuses on biology, it includes a good deal of information about geology and paleontology. The website has several features that are particularly impressive, such as an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to the PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and has clear links between the introductory material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum Web site. These links facilitate the transition from the engaging 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, which illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their natural environment offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that happen regularly or over time but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the nature of science and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also examines myths regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally well constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the standard textual content, the site features an extensive selection of multimedia and 에볼루션 코리아 interactive resources like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the vast Web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms, then narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions at the reef level. This page, 에볼루션 게이밍에볼루션 바카라 체험 무료 (mouse click the up coming article) along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, provides an excellent 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 a crucial method to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that weaves together all the branches of the field. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and wide range of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has a "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely related to the fields of research science. For instance an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that focuses on 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 site, which contains an extensive collection of multimedia resources that are related to evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for classroom use. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still an area of study that poses many important questions to answer, such as what triggers evolution and how quickly it takes place. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it has been difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes and religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique in the universe and has a special place in creation. It is a soul.
In addition there are a myriad of ways that evolution can be triggered and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions haven't.
