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Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

imageDespite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the evolution. People who have taken in popular science myths often assume that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.

This rich website - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.

Definitions

It is difficult to teach evolution well. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists use definitions that confuse the issue. This is particularly relevant when discussing the nature of the words themselves.

It is therefore important to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful manner. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a nested manner that assists in navigation and orientation.

The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relationship to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and validated. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been propagated by the creationists.

You can also access a glossary which contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:

Adaptation: The tendency for 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 characteristics to survive and reproduce.

Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.

Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains 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 cause of new genetic information in cells.

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

Origins

Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through an array of natural changes in the characteristics 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 could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food or habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.

The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals with a focus on major changes in each group's past. It also focuses on the evolutionary history of humans which is crucial for students to know.

Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, which was a year after the first edition of The Origin.

The site is mostly an online biology resource however, it also has lots of information about geology and paleontology. The most impressive features on the site are a series of timelines that show how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time and an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.

Although the site is a companion to a PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and has clear links between the introduction information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum Web site. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's experiments using Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their natural environment, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods for 에볼루션 게이밍 studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not only processes and events that take place frequently or 에볼루션 게이밍 over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space over the course of 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 scientific process and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.

Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content that include video clips, animations and 에볼루션 바카라 (https://telegra.ph/10-Quick-Tips-About-Evolution-Korea-12-23) virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is organized in a nested, 에볼루션 룰렛 슬롯 [inputslice8.werite.Net] bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the large web site.

The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, provides an overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms and then zooms in to a single clam, which is able communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in conditions of the water that occur at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and 에볼루션 게이밍 interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a wide range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides an overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is an important method to understand evolutionary changes.

Evolutionary Theory

For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all the branches of the field. A vast collection of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.

One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also features an embedded "bread crumb" structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site closer to the world of research science. For instance an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.

The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution.

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