10 Books To Read On Evolution Site
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions persist about the evolution. People who have absorbed pop science nonsense often assume that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists use a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves.
Therefore, it is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in an easy and helpful way. The site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but it can also function as an independent resource. The material is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, the gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature and significance of evolution to other concepts in science. 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.
It is also possible to find a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: 에볼루션 The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. By studying the DNA of these species, 에볼루션 블랙잭 it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator 에볼루션 코리아 and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) change by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors such as natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as changes in the climate or competition for food resources and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different species of plants and 에볼루션 animals over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in the history of each group. It also examines the human evolutionary roots, a topic that is crucial for students to know.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when only a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, which was one year after the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
The site is mostly a biology site, but it also contains a lot of information on geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features of the Web site are a series of timelines which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions changed over time, as well as an outline of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
Although the site is a companion to the PBS television show but it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is very well organized and provides 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 make it easier to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds 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 on Earth has produced a diversity of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has numerous advantages over modern observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to study the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution in space over geological time.
The site is divided up into different paths that can be chosen to study the subject of evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the nature and evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of multimedia and interactive resources that include videos, animations, and virtual labs in addition to general textual content. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the large web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. It then narrows down to a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that occur at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a wide spectrum 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 key tool for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth and breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For example, an animation introducing the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia assets related to evolution. The content is organized according to the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study that has many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and the speed at which it takes place. This is especially true for the evolution of humans where it 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 number of ways that evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most popular theory. Scientists also study different types such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, other religions aren't.