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Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution. This rich Web site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources that promote evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's organized in the “bread crumb” format to make navigation and orientation easier. Definitions Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach effectively. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant to discussions on the nature of the word. It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The site is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The material is organized in a manner that makes it easier to navigate and comprehend. The site defines terms like common ancestor and gradual process. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relationship to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the ways that evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by creationists. You can also access a glossary which contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include: Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to survive and reproduce. Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of those species. Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular containing the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together into long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information within cells. Coevolution is the relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or host and parasite. Origins Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process could be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat. The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of various groups of animals and plants, focusing on major transitions in each group's past. 에볼루션 사이트 explores the evolutionary history of humans and humans, a subject that is particularly important for students to comprehend. Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was a year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it. While the site focuses on biology, it also offers a lot of information about geology as well as paleontology. The website has several aspects that are quite impressive, such as the timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features a map showing the distribution of fossil groups. The site is a companion for a PBS TV series but it can also be used as a resource for teachers and students. 에볼루션 사이트 is well-organized and offers clear links to the introduction material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) and the more specialized features of the museum's website. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. In particular 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 resulted in a variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their geological context, has many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not just the processes and events that take place regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different groups of animals in space throughout the geological time. The Web site is divided into a variety of ways to learn about evolution which include “Evolution 101,” which takes the viewer on a liner path through the science of nature and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thinking. Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to general textual content, the site offers an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive content, such as video clips, animations, and virtual labs. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the large Web site. The page “Coral Reef Connections” For instance, it provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in to a single clam, which can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, provides an excellent introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a crucial tool in understanding evolutionary changes. Evolutionary Theory Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across the disciplines of life science. One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and wide range of educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also features a nested “bread crumb” structure that helps students move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are closer to the field of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics, which links to a page about John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad. The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of assets related to evolution. The contents are organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD. Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially true for the evolution of humans, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul with the idea that innate physical traits were derived from the apes. Additionally there are a myriad of ways that evolution could be triggered, with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study different types such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection. While many scientific fields of inquiry have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.