Why All The Fuss Over Evolution Site

Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution remain. People who have taken in pop science nonsense often assume that biologists don't believe in evolution.

This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of myths that undermine it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.

Definitions

Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even use a definition which confuses it. This is especially applicable to debates about the nature of the word.

It is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in an easy and 무료 에볼루션 helpful way. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in a nested manner which aids navigation and orientation.

The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to define the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the manner that evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been engendered by the creationists.

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

Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to reproduce and survive.

Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.

Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information necessary 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 relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.

Origins

Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat can slow or speed up the process.

The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a variety of groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in the evolution of each group's history. It also explores human evolution, which is a topic that is of particular interest for students.

When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, which was one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it's very unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.

The site is primarily an online biology resource, but it also contains lots of information about geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features of the website 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 distribution of some of the fossil groups featured on the site.

Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific components of the museum's Web site. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies, which illustrate the importance ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life has resulted in an array of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology, 에볼루션 카지노 바카라 에볼루션사이트 (Suggested Site) the study of these creatures within their geological context is a superior method of study over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only processes and events that happen regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space throughout geological time.

The site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the history of evolutionary thought.

Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that are suited to a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. In addition to general textual content, the site features an array of multimedia and interactive resources including videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast website.

For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that take place at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, gives a good introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a crucial tool in understanding evolutionary change.

Evolutionary Theory

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

One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of an Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely related to the worlds of research science. For example an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that focuses on 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 to evolution. The contents are organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning goals established in the biology standards. It contains seven videos that are designed for classroom use. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.

Evolutionary biology is still a field of study that poses many important questions, such as what causes evolution and how quickly it happens. This is particularly true for human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes with religious beliefs that hold that humans are unique among living things and has an enviable place in creation, with soul.

There are a variety of other ways in which evolution could occur, with natural selection as the most well-known theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.

While many fields of scientific inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions aren't.