10 Evolution Site Related Projects To Expand Your Creativity
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution persist. Pop science nonsense has led many 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 support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach well. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists, and even scientists use a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially true when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful manner. The website is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The material is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to define the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the ways that evolution has been tested. This information will help to dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor 에볼루션 바카라사이트 (read more on Decrunch`s official blog) (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains information required for 에볼루션 코리아 cell replication. The information is stored in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the source 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. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) change through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of a new species can 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 traces the emergence of a number of different animal and plant groups through time, focusing on the major changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also explores human evolution and is a subject that is of particular interest to students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The most famous among them was the 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 knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
While the site focuses on biology, it contains a wealth of information on geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous aspects that are quite impressive, such as a timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also includes an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television show, it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and has clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized elements of the museum Web site. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of plants, 에볼루션 무료체험 (mouse click on Decrunch) animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their natural environment and has many advantages over modern observational and experimental methods of examining evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals in space throughout geological time.
The site is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the scientific process and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that can support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to general textual content, the site offers an array of multimedia and interactive content like videos, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the large web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms and then zooms in on one clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a wide spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics which is a crucial method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all the branches of the field. A rich collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that provides the depth and breadth of its educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely related to the realms of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and has a special place in creation. It is soul.
There are a myriad of other ways evolution can take place and natural selection being the most well-known theory. Scientists also study other types such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs to evolution but others haven't.