Comprehensive List Of Evolution Site Dos And Don'ts

Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution remain. People who have taken in popular science myths often assume that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.

This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources which support evolution education and avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.

Definitions

It is difficult to properly teach evolution. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is particularly true when it comes to debates about the definition of the word itself.

It is therefore essential to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a straightforward and useful manner. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The material is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.

The site defines terms like common ancestor and gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.

You can also consult a glossary that includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:

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

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

Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular containing the necessary information for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.

Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or host and parasite.

Origins

Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) evolve through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species may take thousands of years and the process could be slowed down or accelerated by environmental factors like climate change or the competition for food or habitat.

The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is particularly important for students.

When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as 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.

While the site focuses on biology, it contains a wealth of information on geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features on the site are a series of timelines which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time as well as an interactive map of the distribution of a few of the fossil groups featured on the site.

While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show, it also stands on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks make it easy to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life has resulted in many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geographical context and offers a number of advantages over the current observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to examining processes and events that occur frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the diversity of kinds of organisms as well as their distribution across geological time.

The site is divided up into several routes that can be taken to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the nature and evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.

Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to the general textual content, the site offers an array of multimedia and interactive resources like video clips, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids 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. It then concentrates on a specific 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, multimedia and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary changes.

Evolutionary Theory

Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.

One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides depth as well as broadness in terms of educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely related to the worlds of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page about John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.

The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of assets related with evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning goals established in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.

Many important questions remain at the core of evolutionary biology, such as what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is especially true in the case of human evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul with the notion that our physical traits evolved from apes.

There are also a number of other ways evolution can take place including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. Scientists also study other types like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.

While many scientific fields of inquiry are in conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions haven't.