Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution

Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions regarding evolution. 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 that support evolution education and avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.

Definitions

It's difficult to effectively teach evolution. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant to discussions about the meaning of the word itself.

It is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful way. It is an accompanying site for the 2001 series, and it is also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.

The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature and relationship of 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 misconceptions that have been propagated by creationists.

You can also access a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:

Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.

Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to determine the common ancestor.

Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.

Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which the evolutionary changes of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.

Origins

Species (groups which can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. The causes of these changes are numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat can impede or accelerate 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 each group's history. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is particularly important for students.

When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and the associated bones discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany which is now believed as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, a year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it's extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.

The site is mostly one of biology however, it also has a lot of information on geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features on the site are a timeline of events that illustrate how climatic and geological conditions have changed over time as well as an interactive map of the distribution of a few of the fossil groups featured on the site.

The site is a companion to the PBS television series, but it could be used as a resource for teachers and students. The site is very well organized and www.evolutionkr.kr provides clear links between the introduction content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum Web site. These links facilitate the transition from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies. They demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.

Diversity

The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has numerous advantages over the current observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology is able to study not only processes and events that happen regularly or over time but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space throughout the geological time.

The Web site is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thinking.

Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia resources which include animations, video clips and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the vast web site.

The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms, and then is enlarged to show one clam that is able 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 website, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis which is a crucial tool for understanding evolutionary changes.

Evolutionary Theory

Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A vast collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.

One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an exceptional example of a Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features 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 linked to the world of research science. For example, an animation introducing the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in 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 collection of multimedia resources that are related 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 for use in classrooms. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.

A variety of crucial questions remain at the core of evolutionary biology, including the factors that trigger evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly true in the case of human evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a unique place in the creation and a soul, with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits originated from the apes.

In addition there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could be triggered with natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.

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