Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution persist. Pop science nonsense has led many people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to teach evolution well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful manner. The website is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The material is organized in a manner that makes it easier to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to define the nature and relationship of evolution with other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the manner that evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection, which happens when organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) evolve through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors that include natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of genes. The development of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process could be slowed down or speeded up by environmental factors like climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the development of various groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in the history of each group. It also focuses on the evolutionary origin of humans, a topic that is crucial for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap when it was published in 1858, which was a year following the initial edition of The Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it also includes a good deal of information about geology as well as paleontology. The most impressive features on the site are a timeline of events which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions changed over time, as well as a map of the distribution of a few fossil groups that are featured on the site.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television series however, it can stand on its own as an excellent source for teachers and students. The site is very well organized and provides clear links between the introductory content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum Web site. 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 that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to an array of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological context, has many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. Paleobiology focuses on not only the process and events that occur regularly or over time but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals across the geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional ways to learn about evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the evolution of thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site features a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources like video clips, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the large web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that take place at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages provides an excellent introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
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For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all branches of the field. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are closer to the field of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page about John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which contains an extensive multimedia library of items that are related to evolution. The content is organized into curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study with a lot of important questions, including what causes evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile that the physical characteristics of humans derived from apes with religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique in the universe and has a special place in creation with soul.
There are also a number of other ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others haven't.