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Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution remain. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists are saying they do not believe in evolution. This rich Web site – companion to the PBS series – provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in the “bread crumb” format to facilitate navigation and orientation. Definitions It's not easy to teach evolution well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves. It is therefore important to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient way. It is an accompanying site for the 2001 series, but also a resource of its own. The information is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate and understand. The site defines terms like common ancestor and gradual process. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the manner in which evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been 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 of hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted characteristics. Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing the DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor. Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that holds the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells. Coevolution is a relation between two species in which the evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts. Origins Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The causes of these changes are various factors, including natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process may be slowed down or speeded up by environmental conditions such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat. The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a number of different animal and plant groups through time and focuses on the most significant shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots, a topic that is especially important for students to comprehend. Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when only a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it. The site is primarily one of biology however it also includes lots of information about geology and paleontology. The Web site has a number of features that are especially impressive, including a timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups. The site is a companion to a PBS TV series but it could also be used as an educational resource by teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introductory content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specialized features of the museum website. These hyperlinks make it easy to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's experiments using guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory. Diversity The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological environment, has many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups in space over the course of geological time. The website is divided into a variety of paths to learning evolution, including “Evolution 101,” which takes the viewer on a liner path through the nature of science and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution of thought. Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that are suited to a variety of educational levels and teaching styles. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia resources which include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. sneak a peek at this web-site is laid out in a nested bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the vast Web site. For instance the page “Coral Reef Connections” gives a brief overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary multimedia and interactive pages, offers a great introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes a discussion on the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary change. Evolutionary Theory For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all the branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across the disciplines of life sciences. One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has a “bread crumb structure” that helps students move away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the fields of research science. For example an animation that introduces the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad. The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of resources that are associated to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based paths that parallel the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It contains seven short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs. Evolutionary biology is still an area of study that poses many important questions, including what triggers evolution and how quickly it happens. This is especially relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical traits of humans evolved from apes with religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and holds a a special place in creation. It is a soul. Additionally there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among other things. While many scientific fields of inquiry conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others have not.