Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. People who have taken in pop science nonsense often assume that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.

This rich Web site, which is a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources that support the evolution of education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that can make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.

Definitions

It's difficult to properly teach evolution. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly true when discussing the definition of the words.

Therefore, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a straightforward and useful way. The site is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested fashion that assists in navigation and orientation.

The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and confirmed. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been propagated by the creationists.

It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:

Adaptation is the process of changing hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is due to natural selection. It occurs when organisms that have more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.

Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.

Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.

Origins

Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species may take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.

The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of various animal and plant groups, focusing on major transitions in each group's history. It also focuses on human evolution, which is a topic that is particularly important to students.

When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the associated bones, Evolutionkr.Kr was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, which was one year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.

While the site is focused on biology, it also includes a good deal of information about geology as well as paleontology. The most impressive features of the website are a set of timelines that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time as well as an outline of the distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.

Although the site is a companion to a PBS television show but it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides easy links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. In particular there are links to John Endler's research with Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life has produced many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods for exploring evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not just the processes and events that occur regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of various animal groups in space over the course of the geological time.

The Web site is divided into a variety of paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the nature of science and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions regarding evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thought.

Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally well developed, with materials that support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site has a range of multimedia and interactive resources that include videos, animations, and virtual labs in addition to general textual content. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the vast web site.

For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. It 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, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is an important method to understand evolutionary changes.

Evolutionary Theory

Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.

One resource, which is the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both the depth and the wide range of educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are closer to the world of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.

Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which has an extensive library of multimedia resources connected to evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos that are intended for use in the classroom. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.

A number of important questions remain at the core of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is particularly true for human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religious beliefs that hold that humans are unique in the universe and has an enviable place in creation, with soul.

There are a variety of other ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study different types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.

While many fields of scientific study are in conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions haven't.