10 Evolution Site Tricks Experts Recommend
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. People who have absorbed the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources that support the evolution of education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which make it difficult to understand. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's difficult to teach evolution well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore essential 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 manner. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but also functions as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested fashion that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, the gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other concepts in science. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and validated. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of causes such as natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food resources and 에볼루션 바카라 무료에볼루션 게이밍, socialexpresions.com, habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site follows the evolution of different groups of animals and plants and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also focuses on human evolution as a subject of particular importance for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the associated bones, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, just one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it contains a wealth of information about geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site are a series of timelines which show how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time and an outline of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television show but it also stands on its own as an excellent source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introduction material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specific features of the museum's website. These links make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research 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 is the study of these creatures within their geological environment, has many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not only the process and events that occur regularly or over time but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals in space over the course of geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional ways to learn about evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources, such as videos, animations and virtual labs. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation on the Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, provides an overview of the coral's relationships, 바카라 에볼루션 their interaction with other organisms, and then is enlarged to show one clam, which can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur on 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 information also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of an Web site that offers both depth and a variety of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features an embedded "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are closer to the field of research science. For example an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads 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 resources that are associated to evolution. The contents are organized into curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly relevant for humans' evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a unique position in the universe and a soul with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits evolved from the apes.
There are a myriad of other ways evolution can take place and natural selection being the most well-known theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
Many fields of inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions aren't.