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Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution remain. People who have been exposed to pop science nonsense often assume that biologists don't believe in evolution. This site, which is a complement to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that can hinder it. It's laid out in the “bread crumb” format to make navigation and orientation easier. Definitions It's not easy to properly teach evolution. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when discussing the nature of the words themselves. It is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding click through the up coming website does this in an easy and helpful manner. The site is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The material is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate and comprehend. The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and verified. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists. It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include: Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to survive and reproduce. Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestral 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 that contains the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells. Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host. Origins Species (groups that can crossbreed), evolve by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. The changes can be caused by a variety that include natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like changes in the climate or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process. The Evolution site tracks the development of a variety of species of plants and animals over time with a focus on the key transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also focuses on human evolution and is a subject that is particularly important to students. When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The most famous among them was the skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, a year after the first edition of The Origin. The site is mostly one of biology however, it also has many details on paleontology and geology. Among the best features on the site are a timeline of events that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time as well as an outline of the distribution of some of the fossil groups featured on the site. The site is a companion to the PBS TV series but it can also be used as a source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides clear links to the introduction information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) and the more specialized features of the museum website. These links make it easier to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. In particular there are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory. Diversity The evolution of life has produced an array of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological environment is a superior method of study over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology focuses on not only the process and events that occur regularly or over time but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals in space over the course of the geological time. The site is divided into different options to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, “Evolution 101,” walks the reader through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions about evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thought. Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is similarly constructed, with materials that can support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site features an array of interactive and multimedia resources, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the vast Web site. For example, the page “Coral Reef Connections” provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms, then narrows down to a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that take place at the reef level. This page, as well as 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 overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a crucial tool in understanding evolutionary change. Evolutionary Theory Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all disciplines of life science. One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features a “bread crumb structure” that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely connected to the worlds of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics is linked to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad. Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive multimedia library of items that are related to evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD. Evolutionary biology is still a field of study with a lot of important questions, including what triggers evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical traits of humans derived from apes with religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and has a special place in creation with soul. There are a myriad of other ways evolution can occur and natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study different types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others. While many fields of scientific inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.