Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources that promote evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that undermine it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach well. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists use definitions that confuse the issue. This is especially relevant when it comes to the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a structured manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the manner in which evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species, it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is contained in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species, where the evolutionary changes of one species influence evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) change through an array of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. 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 accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a number of different species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in the evolution of each group's history. It also explores human evolution as a subject that is of particular interest for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in 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 when it was published in 1858, a year following the initial edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly an online biology resource however, it also has a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The most impressive features of the Web site are a timeline of events that illustrate the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, and an outline of the distribution of a few of the fossil groups featured on the site.The site is a companion for a PBS TV series but it can also be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction material 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 cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their natural environment, has many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology can examine not just the processes and events that occur regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups in space over the course of the geological time.The website is divided into several options to study the subject of evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the nature and evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally well created, with resources that can support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site includes a variety of multimedia and interactive resources that include videos, animations, and 에볼루션 바카라사이트 (you could look here) virtual labs in addition to general textual content. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it narrows down to a single 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 interactive and multimedia pages, gives a good introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is an important tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A rich collection of resources supports teaching 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 as well as breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely tied to the world of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive multimedia library of assets connected to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the biology standards. It contains seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Many important questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is especially relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes with religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation with soul.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution could occur, with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others.
Although many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.
