How To Know If You're Are Ready For Evolution Site
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding evolution. People who have taken in popular science myths often assume that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can hinder it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's difficult to properly teach evolution. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves.
Therefore, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a simple and efficient manner. The site is both an accompanying site for the 2001 series, and also a resource of its own. The material is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to other concepts in science. The website provides a summary of the way in which evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more suited to a particular environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety such as natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of genes. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as changes in the climate 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 and focuses on the most significant shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is particularly important to students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it offers a lot of information about geology as well as paleontology. The site offers numerous aspects that are quite impressive, such as the timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also features maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to a PBS television series, but it could also be used as a resource by teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introductory content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specialized features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the engaging 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. They illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has many advantages over the modern observational and research 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 allows to examine the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution throughout geological time.
The website is divided into several routes that can be taken to learn about evolution. One of these 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 theory's history.
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 the general textual content, the site features an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the vast Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms and then zooms in on a single clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to the broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool in understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all branches of the field. 에볼루션바카라사이트 of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that offers both depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has a "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the worlds of research science. For instance an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes with religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and has an enviable place in creation, with a soul.
There are a variety of other ways evolution could occur including natural selection, which is the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among other things.
Although many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others aren't.