A Step-By-Step Guide For Choosing Your Evolution Site
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of 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 use a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in an easy and helpful manner. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, but also a resource of its own. The content is presented in a structured manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to define the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the ways that evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been engendered by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more suited to a particular environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by 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 that are strung into long chains, referred to as 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 dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes such as natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development of various animal and plant groups through time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots which is crucial for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when only a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, one year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is very unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
While the site focuses on biology, 무료 에볼루션 무료체험 (link web site) it includes a good deal of information on geology and 에볼루션 바카라 체험 코리아 (www.metooo.Es) paleontology. Among the best features on the site are a series of timelines which show how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, as well as an outline of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introduction content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specialized features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks help users move from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's experiments using Guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their natural environment is a superior method of study over modern observational or experimental methods of studying evolutionary processes. In addition to studying the processes and events that happen regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of various groups of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The site is divided into different 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 regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally developed, with materials that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to general textual content, the site features a wide range of interactive and multimedia resources like videos, animations and virtual labs. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the vast Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and interactions with other organisms and zooms in to one clam, which is able communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, offers a great introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis which is a crucial tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all the 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 outstanding example of a 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 helps students move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site closer to the world of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics is linked to a page about John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of resources that are associated with evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the biology standards. It includes seven short videos intended for use in the classroom. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes and religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique among living things and has a special place in creation, with soul.
Additionally there are a myriad of ways that evolution could occur, with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.