It's Time To Expand Your Evolution Site Options

Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.

This rich Web site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.

Definitions

Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is particularly relevant when discussing the nature of the words themselves.

As such, 에볼루션 코리아 에볼루션 바카라 무료 에볼루션 바카라 체험 - via Pdc, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful manner. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, 에볼루션 but is also an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested manner that assists in navigation and orientation.

The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and verified. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.

It is also possible to find the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:

Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to become more suited to the environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.

Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of these species.

Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains the information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.

Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.

Origins

Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of factors that include natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate change or competition for food resources and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.

The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also focuses on the evolutionary origin of humans which is especially important for students to understand.

When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The most famous among them was the skullcap and bones that were discovered 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's highly unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.

The site is primarily an online biology resource, but it also contains many details on geology and paleontology. The Web site has several features that are especially impressive, such as a timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features maps that show the locations of fossil groups.

The site is a companion to the PBS TV series but it could be used as a source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introduction content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are links to John Endler's experiments with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a 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 research methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of various kinds of organisms as well as their distribution across geological time.

The site is divided into a variety of paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions regarding evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thought.

Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources including videos, animations, and virtual labs. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the large web site.

The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, provides an overview of the coral's relationships and their interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in on one clam, which is able communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the conditions of the water that occur at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial tool for understanding the evolution of changes.

Evolutionary Theory

For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science.

One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of a Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely linked to the field of research science. For example, an animation introducing the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.

The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning goals set forth in the biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed for classroom use. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.

Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and [empty] the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly true for humans' evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul with the notion that our physical traits originated from Apes.

There are a variety of other ways in which evolution can take place including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.

While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions aren't.