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Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution. This rich website – companion to the PBS series – provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's organized in a “bread crumb” format to make navigation and orientation easier. Definitions Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists, and even scientists are guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially relevant to discussions about the meaning of the word itself. As 에볼루션 무료체험 , it is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient manner. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested manner which aids navigation and orientation. The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists. You can also consult a glossary that 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 characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive. Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor. Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains 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 influence evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts. Origins Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) change through an array of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species can take thousands of years, and the process may be slowed down or speeded up by environmental factors like climate change or competition for food or habitat. The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of various species of plants and animals with a focus on major changes in each group's history. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is of particular interest to students. When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it were 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, just one year after the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it. While the site is focused on biology, it also contains a wealth of information on geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features of the website are a timeline of events which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time as well as an outline of the distribution of a few fossil groups that are featured on the site. While the site is a companion piece to the PBS television series, it also stands on its own as an excellent source 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 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 research with Guppies, which demonstrate 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, the study of these creatures within their natural environment offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. Paleobiology focuses on not only the process and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of various animal groups in space throughout the geological time. The site is divided into various paths to learning evolution which include “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 misconceptions about evolution and the background of evolutionary thinking. Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia resources, including video clips, animations and virtual labs in addition to general textual content. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the large web site. For example the page “Coral Reef Connections” provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it zooms in on a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that take place at the reef level. 에볼루션 무료체험 , along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to the broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is an important method to understand evolutionary change. Evolutionary Theory For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that connects all the branches of the field. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across all disciplines of life sciences. One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth as well as wide range of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased “bread crumb” structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad. Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this Web website, which includes an extensive multimedia library of assets that are related to evolution. The content is organized into curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD. A number of important questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, such as what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile that the physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes with religions that believe that humans are unique among living things and holds a an exclusive place in the creation with a soul. Additionally there are a variety of ways that evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution like genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others. While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, others aren't.