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Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. ???? ??? ?? has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.

This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.

Definitions


Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach well. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists, and even scientists have been guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially relevant to debates about the definition of the word itself.

It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but is also 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 frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other scientific concepts. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the ways in which evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.

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

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

Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) is the most recent ancestral ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.

Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains 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 reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.

Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.

Origins

Species (groups that can interbreed) develop by a series of natural variations in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes such as natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food resources and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.

The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout each group's history. It also examines the evolutionary origin of humans, a topic that is crucial for students to comprehend.

When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, a year following the initial edition of The Origin.

While the site is focused on biology, it includes a good deal of information about geology and paleontology. The site offers a number of aspects that are quite impressive, such as a timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also features maps that show the locations of fossil groups.

While the site is a companion piece to the PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a valuable 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 support) and the more specific features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments with Guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life has produced a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their natural environment is a superior method of study over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not only processes and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups in space over the course of the geological time.

The Web site is divided into a variety of paths to learning evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the evolution of thought.

Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that are suited to a variety of educational levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of multimedia and interactive resources that include animations, video clips and virtual labs as well as general textual content. ???? ??? ??? -like arrangement of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the large website.

The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms and then zooms in on one clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in conditions of the water that occur at 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 content also includes an explanation of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics analysis which is a crucial tool to understand evolutionary changes.

Evolutionary Theory

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

One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of a Web site that provides depth and a variety of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site closer to the field of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.

Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which contains an extensive collection of multimedia items that are related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It contains seven short videos that are designed for use in classrooms. They can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.

Evolutionary biology remains a field of study that has many important questions, including the causes of evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly relevant for humans' evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits evolved from apes.

Additionally there are a myriad of ways that evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study other types of evolution such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.

While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions aren't.

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