Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution remain. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that promote evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant to discussions about the meaning of the word itself.
It is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding 에볼루션 코리아 does this in an easy and helpful manner. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but it can also function as an independent resource. The information is presented in a structured way that makes it easy 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 scientific concepts. The website then provides 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 a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed) develop through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes can be caused by numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate change or competition for food and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
Full Content follows the evolution of various animal and plant groups, focusing on major transitions within each group's past. It also explores human evolution and is a subject of particular importance for students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans had been found. The most famous among them was the skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just a 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 one of biology however, it also has a lot of information on paleontology and geology. The site offers several features that are particularly impressive, such as a timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over the course of time. It also includes maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to the PBS television series however, it can stand on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides easy links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition 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 that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced an array of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers numerous advantages over the current observational and experimental methods for analyzing evolutionary processes. Paleobiology focuses on not just the processes and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals in space throughout the geological time.
The website is divided into different options to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also examines myths regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the general textual content, the site features an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources, such as videos, animations, and virtual labs. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation on the web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms, then concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the water conditions at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes a discussion on the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics analysis, an important method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that binds all branches of the field. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across all disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both depth as well as broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wealth 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 large Web site more closely linked to the world of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics is linked to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia items related to evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos designed for use in classrooms. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, such as the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans derived from apes with religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation. It is a soul.
Additionally there are a variety of ways in which evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other types like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
Although many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others aren't.