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Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution remain. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution. This rich website – companion to the PBS series – provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's organized in the “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 which confuses it. This is especially relevant to debates about the meaning of the word itself. It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful manner. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but is also an independent resource. The content is presented in a structured manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand. The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature and relationship of evolution to other concepts in science. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the manner in which evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by the creationists. It is also possible to access the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include: Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to the environment. This is a result of natural selection, which occurs when organisms that are better-adapted traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits. Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor. Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung 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 evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts. Origins Species (groups that can crossbreed), evolve through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The development of a new species could take thousands of years and the process can be slowed down or accelerated by environmental factors like climate change or competition for food or habitat. The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of various species of plants and animals with a focus on major changes in each group's history. It also focuses on the evolutionary history of humans and humans, a subject that is particularly important for students to understand. Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was one year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it's extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it. While the site focuses on biology, it also offers a lot of information about geology and paleontology. The website has a number of aspects that are quite impressive, including an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features a map showing the distribution of fossil groups. Although the site is a companion piece to a PBS television series however, it can stand on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is very well organized and provides clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks help users move 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 that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory. look at here 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 context and has numerous advantages over modern observational and experimental methods of examining evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not only the process and events that take place regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different groups of animals across 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 scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution, and also the history of evolutionary thinking. Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to general textual content, the site offers an array of interactive and multimedia resources like video clips, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the vast Web site. The page “Coral Reef Connections”, for example, provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and interactions with other organisms, and then is enlarged to show a single clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, gives a good introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The material includes a discussion on the significance of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis which is a crucial tool to understand evolutionary change. Evolutionary Theory Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A rich collection of resources helps teachers teach 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 page that offers both the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also has a “bread crumb structure” that allows students to move away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely linked to the fields of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics links to a page highlighting John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad. sell is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which has an extensive library of multimedia items connected to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos specifically designed 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, including what triggers evolution and how fast it takes place. This is especially true for humans' evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits were derived from apes. In addition there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection. Many fields of inquiry have a conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions aren't.