Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach well. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially relevant when it comes to the definition of the words.
Therefore, it is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient manner. The website is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The material is presented in a way that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help define the nature and relationship of evolution to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the ways the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel myths that are created by the creationists.
It is also possible to access the 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. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing the DNA from 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 stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) change through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate change or competition for food resources and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site follows the emergence of various groups of animals and plants with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also examines the evolution of humans as a subject of particular importance for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, along with the bones associated with it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, just one year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
The site is primarily one of biology however it also includes lots of information about geology and paleontology. The website has numerous aspects that are quite impressive, including an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also includes an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for the PBS television series, but it could also be used as an educational resource by teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides clear links to the introduction material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) as well as the more specialized features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks help users move from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly, there are links to John Endler's experiments using guppies that 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 natural environment offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology can examine not only the process and events that happen regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different groups of animals in space over the course of geological time.
The Web site is divided into various ways to learn about evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the scientific process and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that are suited to a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content that include video clips, animations and virtual laboratories as well as general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation on the Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and interactions with other organisms and then zooms in to one clam, which can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, offers a great introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
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For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all the branches of the field. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the 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 range of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For example an animation that explains the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia resources that are related to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It contains seven videos that are designed for use in classrooms. They can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study with a lot of important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how quickly it takes place. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it has been difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical characteristics of humans derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and has an exclusive place in the creation, with a soul.
There are a variety of other ways in which evolution can occur, with natural selection as the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution like genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among other things.
While many fields of scientific study have a conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.