Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about evolution. People who have taken in the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists are saying they do not believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's organized in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to effectively teach evolution. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when it comes to discussions about the definition of the word itself.
Therefore, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other scientific concepts. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the manner the concept of evolution has been tested. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be more suited to the environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species in which the evolutionary changes of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed), evolve by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species may take thousands of years, and the process could be slowed down or speeded up by environmental factors like climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a variety of groups of animals and plants over time and focuses on the most significant transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also explores human evolution, which is a topic that is particularly important for students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. Among them was the famous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While go to the website wasn't published until 1858, one year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is highly unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it also offers a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The Web site has numerous aspects that are quite impressive, including a timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show, it also stands on its own as an excellent source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features of the museum's website. These links make it easier to move 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, which illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to many species of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their natural environment is a superior method of study over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining processes and events that take place frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution in space over the geological time.
The Web site is divided into a variety of ways to learn about evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the scientific process and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution and the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that support a variety educational levels and teaching styles. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content that include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the massive website.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it narrows down to a single clam that can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to the broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes an overview of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics, an important method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all branches of the field. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of a Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely linked to the worlds of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics is linked to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The contents are organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos intended for use in the classroom. They can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
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 humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits evolved from the 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 different kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
While many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions have not.