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Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions regarding evolution. People who have taken in pop science nonsense often assume that biologists don't believe in evolution. This rich Web site, a companion to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which hinder it. It's organized in a nested “bread crumb” format to make it easy for navigation and orientation. Definitions It is difficult to teach evolution well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant to debates about the meaning of the word itself. It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful way. The site serves as an accompaniment to the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a nested fashion which aids navigation and orientation. The site defines terms like common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other concepts in science. click the following article provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and validated. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been engendered by the creationists. It is also possible to find a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include: Adaptation is the process of changing hereditary traits to become better suited to an environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to survive and reproduce. Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of those species. Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells. Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts. Origins Species (groups which can interbreed) change through a series 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 evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate change or competition for food or habitat can slow or speed up the process. The Evolution site traces the emergence of a variety of animal and plant groups through time with a focus on the key changes that took place in the history of each group. 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 had been found. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones associated with it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, which was a year following the initial edition of The Origin. Origin. The site is mostly an online biology resource however it also includes lots of information about geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site are a set of timelines that illustrate how climatic and geological conditions changed over time, and an outline of the geographical distribution of some of the fossil groups featured on the site. Although the site is a companion piece to a PBS television series, it also stands on its own as an excellent resource for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and has clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific components of the museum's Web site. These hyperlinks help users move from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research with Guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory. Diversity The evolution of life has resulted in many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context and has many advantages over modern observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that take place regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology can be used to examine the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time. The Web site is divided into several optional ways to learn about evolution, including “Evolution 101,” which takes the viewer on a line through the science of nature and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the evolution of thought. Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that can be used to support a variety of educational levels and teaching styles. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia content, including videos, animations, and virtual laboratories 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. The page “Coral Reef Connections” For instance, the page “Coral Reef Connections” gives a brief overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms and then zooms in to a single clam, which can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a key tool in understanding evolutionary changes. Evolutionary Theory For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that binds all the branches of the field. A vast collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across all life sciences. One resource, which is the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth as well as wide range of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested “bread crumb” structure that helps students move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are closer to the field of research science. For example an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad. The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized into the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD. Evolutionary biology is a field of study with a lot of important questions, such as what triggers evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is particularly true for humans' evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits were derived from Apes. Additionally there are a variety of ways that evolution could occur and natural selection is the most popular theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others. Although many scientific fields of study conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions aren't.