Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution persist. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject to teach well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when it comes to debates about the nature of the word.
It is therefore essential to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a straightforward and useful manner. It is an accompaniment to the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as 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 site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and validated. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to access the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through an array of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as changes in the climate or competition for food or habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of various animal and plant groups through time with a focus on the key changes that took place in each group's history. It also explores the human evolutionary roots, a topic that is particularly important for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is highly unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however it also includes a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The most impressive features on the site are a timeline of events that illustrate the way in which climatic and geological conditions changed over time, and an interactive map of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
Although the site is a companion to a 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 has clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized components of the museum's Web site. 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 experiments using guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
에볼루션 슬롯게임 of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods for exploring evolutionary phenomena. In addition to studying the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to examine the relative abundance of different kinds of organisms as well as their distribution throughout the geological time.
The website is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution theory's history.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that are suited to a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia resources that include video clips, animations and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the large web site.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it zooms in on 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, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, offers a great introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The content includes a discussion on the role of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key tool to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all the branches of the field. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both depth and broadness in terms of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely connected to the fields of research science. For example an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web website, which includes an extensive library of multimedia items related to evolution. The contents are organized into curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning goals established in biology standards. It contains seven short videos designed for use in classrooms. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as the factors that trigger evolution and the speed at which it occurs. 에볼루션 슬롯게임 is especially true for the evolution of humans where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul with the idea that innate physical traits originated from apes.
There are 에볼루션 바카라 of other ways evolution can take place including natural selection, which is the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
Many fields of inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible Evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others aren't.