Why Evolution Site Might Be Your Next Big Obsession
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about evolution. People who have been exposed to pop science nonsense often assume that biologists claim they do not believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and avoids the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for 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 use a definition which confuses it. This is especially true when it comes to discussions on the nature of the word.
Therefore, it is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The website is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in a way that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature and relationship of evolution with other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the ways the concept of evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the necessary information for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of various species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject of particular importance to students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is mostly an online biology resource, 에볼루션 but it also contains lots of information about geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are particularly impressive, including a timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece to a PBS television series but it also stands on its own as an excellent resource 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) and the more specialized features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies, which 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 geographical context and offers numerous advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only processes and events that take place regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different groups of animals in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided into different paths that can be chosen to learn about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the nature and evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to general textual content, the site offers a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation on the Web site.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms, then zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, offers a great introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web site that provides the depth and 에볼루션게이밍 the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the realms of research science. For example, an animation introducing the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive multimedia library of assets that are related to evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for classroom use, which can be streamed for no cost or 에볼루션 무료체험 purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly true for humans' evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a unique place in the creation and a soul with the idea that innate physical traits were derived from Apes.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution can be triggered with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution, 에볼루션카지노 such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.