15 Great Documentaries About Evolution Site

Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts of biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the evolution. People who have absorbed pop science nonsense often assume that biologists are saying they do not believe in evolution. This rich Web site – companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's organized in a nested “bread crumb” format to make it easy for navigation and orientation. Definitions It's not easy to teach evolution well. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant when discussing the definition of the words. It is therefore essential to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is both an accompanying site for the 2001 series, but also a resource on its own. The content 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 define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and verified. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been engendered by creationists. You can also access a glossary which includes terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include: The process of adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce. Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of these species. Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells. Coevolution is a relation between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host. Origins Species (groups that can interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate changes or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process. The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a number of different species of plants and animals over time and focuses on the most significant changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also explores the evolutionary history of humans which is especially important for students to understand. When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, just a year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it. The site is primarily an online biology resource however, it also has lots of information about geology and paleontology. The website has several features that are particularly impressive, including an overview of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups. The site is a companion for the PBS TV series but it could also be used as a resource by teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and has clear links between the introduction information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific components of the museum's Web site. 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 hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments using guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory. Diversity The evolution of life has produced a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers a number of advantages over the modern observational and research methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining processes and events that occur regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to study the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution across the geological time. The site is divided into various paths to learning evolution, including “Evolution 101,” which takes the viewer on a liner path through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution of thought. Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety levels of curriculum and teaching methods. In addition to the general textual content, the site offers an array of multimedia and interactive content including video clips, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the large Web site. For instance the page “Coral Reef Connections” provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms. It then zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to the broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics, an important method for understanding the evolution of change. Evolutionary Theory For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that weaves together all the branches of the field. A vast collection of resources supports teaching 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 depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased “bread crumb” structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the world of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics is linked to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad. Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this web site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia items related to evolution. The content is organized into curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD. Evolutionary biology remains an area of study that poses many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how quickly it happens. This is particularly true for human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation with soul. There are a myriad of other ways evolution can take place including natural selection, which is the most well-known theory. However, scientists also study other types of evolution such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others. Many fields of inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While 에볼루션 바카라사이트 have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, others haven't.