Why Does Evolution Matter The Importance Of Understanding Evolution

Author : Gabriel Trueba
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 205 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2014-10-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781443870030

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Why does Evolution Matter? The Importance of Understanding Evolution by Gabriel Trueba Pdf

Evolution is not merely a chapter in biology textbooks; rather, it is the mesh that embraces and connects every biological phenomenon; indeed, as Dobzhansky pointed out, nothing in biology could be understood without the evolutionary logic. The contents of this book highlight the importance of evolution in applied biological sciences such as agricultural, medical, environmental and the social sciences. Evolutionary science provides renewed ideas which can result in practical applications and tools that deal with current problems concerning humanity, such as disease, food production, and environmental destruction. Most of the topics in this book were discussed during the III Summit on Evolution which took place in the Galapagos Islands in June 2013, hosted by the Galapagos Institute for the Arts and Sciences and the Galapagos Science Institute, Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Author : National Academy of Sciences,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Board on Science Education,Working Group on Teaching Evolution
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 1998-05-06
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780309063647

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Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science by National Academy of Sciences,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Board on Science Education,Working Group on Teaching Evolution Pdf

Today many school students are shielded from one of the most important concepts in modern science: evolution. In engaging and conversational style, Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science provides a well-structured framework for understanding and teaching evolution. Written for teachers, parents, and community officials as well as scientists and educators, this book describes how evolution reveals both the great diversity and similarity among the Earth's organisms; it explores how scientists approach the question of evolution; and it illustrates the nature of science as a way of knowing about the natural world. In addition, the book provides answers to frequently asked questions to help readers understand many of the issues and misconceptions about evolution. The book includes sample activities for teaching about evolution and the nature of science. For example, the book includes activities that investigate fossil footprints and population growth that teachers of science can use to introduce principles of evolution. Background information, materials, and step-by-step presentations are provided for each activity. In addition, this volume: Presents the evidence for evolution, including how evolution can be observed today. Explains the nature of science through a variety of examples. Describes how science differs from other human endeavors and why evolution is one of the best avenues for helping students understand this distinction. Answers frequently asked questions about evolution. Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science builds on the 1996 National Science Education Standards released by the National Research Councilâ€"and offers detailed guidance on how to evaluate and choose instructional materials that support the standards. Comprehensive and practical, this book brings one of today's educational challenges into focus in a balanced and reasoned discussion. It will be of special interest to teachers of science, school administrators, and interested members of the community.

Author : Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 275 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2014-04-03
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781107034914

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Understanding Evolution by Kostas Kampourakis Pdf

Bringing together conceptual obstacles and core concepts of evolutionary theory, this book presents evolution as straightforward and intuitive.

Author : Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 217 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2020-09-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781108809047

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Understanding Evolution by Kostas Kampourakis Pdf

Why do the debates about evolution persist, despite the plentiful evidence for it? Breaking down the notion that public resistance to evolution is strictly due to its perceived conflict with religion, this concise book shows that evolution is in fact a counterintuitive idea that is difficult to understand. Kostas Kampourakis, an experienced science educator, takes an insightful, interdisciplinary approach, providing an introduction to evolutionary theory written with clarity and thoughtful reasoning. Topics discussed include evolution in the public sphere, evolution and religion, the conceptual obstacles to understanding evolution, the development of Darwin's theory, the most important evolutionary concepts, as well as evolution and the nature of science. Understanding Evolution presents evolutionary theory with a lucidity and vision that readers will quickly appreciate, and is intended for anyone wanting an accessible and concise guide to evolution.

Author : Michael Shermer
Publisher : Macmillan
Page : 230 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2007-04-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781429900904

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Why Darwin Matters by Michael Shermer Pdf

A creationist-turned-scientist demonstrates the facts of evolution and exposes Intelligent Design's real agenda Science is on the defensive. Half of Americans reject the theory of evolution and "Intelligent Design" campaigns are gaining ground. Classroom by classroom, creationism is overthrowing biology. In Why Darwin Matters, bestselling author Michael Shermer explains how the newest brand of creationism appeals to our predisposition to look for a designer behind life's complexity. Shermer decodes the scientific evidence to show that evolution is not "just a theory" and illustrates how it achieves the design of life through the bottom-up process of natural selection. Shermer, once an evangelical Christian and a creationist, argues that Intelligent Design proponents are invoking a combination of bad science, political antipathy, and flawed theology. He refutes their pseudoscientific arguments and then demonstrates why conservatives and people of faith can and should embrace evolution. He then appraises the evolutionary questions that truly need to be settled, building a powerful argument for science itself. Cutting the politics away from the facts, Why Darwin Matters is an incisive examination of what is at stake in the debate over evolution.

Author : Erminio Peter Volpe
Publisher : WCB/McGraw-Hill
Page : 284 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 1985
Category : Medical
ISBN : UOM:39015010926734

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Understanding Evolution by Erminio Peter Volpe Pdf

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Life Sciences,Board on Biology,Committee on Research Opportunities in Biology
Publisher : National Academies
Page : 471 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 1989-01-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309039277

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Opportunities in Biology by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Life Sciences,Board on Biology,Committee on Research Opportunities in Biology Pdf

Biology has entered an era in which interdisciplinary cooperation is at an all-time high, practical applications follow basic discoveries more quickly than ever before, and new technologiesâ€"recombinant DNA, scanning tunneling microscopes, and moreâ€"are revolutionizing the way science is conducted. The potential for scientific breakthroughs with significant implications for society has never been greater. Opportunities in Biology reports on the state of the new biology, taking a detailed look at the disciplines of biology; examining the advances made in medicine, agriculture, and other fields; and pointing out promising research opportunities. Authored by an expert panel representing a variety of viewpoints, this volume also offers recommendations on how to meet the infrastructure needsâ€"for funding, effective information systems, and other supportâ€"of future biology research. Exploring what has been accomplished and what is on the horizon, Opportunities in Biology is an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and researchers in all subdisciplines of biology as well as for research administrators and those in funding agencies.

Author : Jerry A. Coyne
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2010-01-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191643842

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Why Evolution is True by Jerry A. Coyne Pdf

For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.

Author : Brian Charlesworth,Deborah Charlesworth
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 169 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Evolution
ISBN : 9780198804369

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Evolution by Brian Charlesworth,Deborah Charlesworth Pdf

This text is about the central role of evolution in shaping the nature and diversity of the living world. It describes the processes of natural selection, how adaptations arise, and how new species form, as well as summarizing the evidence for evolution

Author : Daniel C. Dennett
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 592 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2014-07-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781439126295

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Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett Pdf

In a book that is both groundbreaking and accessible, Daniel C. Dennett, whom Chet Raymo of The Boston Globe calls "one of the most provocative thinkers on the planet," focuses his unerringly logical mind on the theory of natural selection, showing how Darwin's great idea transforms and illuminates our traditional view of humanity's place in the universe. Dennett vividly describes the theory itself and then extends Darwin's vision with impeccable arguments to their often surprising conclusions, challenging the views of some of the most famous scientists of our day.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Planning Committee on Thinking Evolutionarily: Making Biology Education Make Sense
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 110 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2012-05-31
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780309256926

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Thinking Evolutionarily by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Planning Committee on Thinking Evolutionarily: Making Biology Education Make Sense Pdf

Evolution is the central unifying theme of biology. Yet today, more than a century and a half after Charles Darwin proposed the idea of evolution through natural selection, the topic is often relegated to a handful of chapters in textbooks and a few class sessions in introductory biology courses, if covered at all. In recent years, a movement has been gaining momentum that is aimed at radically changing this situation. On October 25-26, 2011, the Board on Life Sciences of the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences held a national convocation in Washington, DC, to explore the many issues associated with teaching evolution across the curriculum. Thinking Evolutionarily: Evolution Education Across the Life Sciences: Summary of a Convocation summarizes the goals, presentations, and discussions of the convocation. The goals were to articulate issues, showcase resources that are currently available or under development, and begin to develop a strategic plan for engaging all of the sectors represented at the convocation in future work to make evolution a central focus of all courses in the life sciences, and especially into introductory biology courses at the college and high school levels, though participants also discussed learning in earlier grades and life-long learning. Thinking Evolutionarily: Evolution Education Across the Life Sciences: Summary of a Convocation covers the broader issues associated with learning about the nature, processes, and limits of science, since understanding evolutionary science requires a more general appreciation of how science works. This report explains the major themes that recurred throughout the convocation, including the structure and content of curricula, the processes of teaching and learning about evolution, the tensions that can arise in the classroom, and the target audiences for evolution education.

Author : Carl Zimmer
Publisher : Macmillan Higher Education
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2013-08-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781319268763

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The Tangled Bank by Carl Zimmer Pdf

Used widely in non-majors biology classes, The Tangled Bank is the first textbook about evolution intended for the general reader. Zimmer, an award-winning science writer, takes readers on a fascinating journey into the latest discoveries about evolution. In the Canadian Arctic, paleontologists unearth fossils documenting the move of our ancestors from sea to land. In the outback of Australia, a zoologist tracks some of the world’s deadliest snakes to decipher the 100-million-year evolution of venom molecules. In Africa, geneticists are gathering DNA to probe the origin of our species. In clear, non-technical language, Zimmer explains the central concepts essential for understanding new advances in evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, and sexual selection. He demonstrates how vital evolution is to all branches of modern biology—from the fight against deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the analysis of the human genome.

Author : Jonathan B. Losos,Richard Lenski
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Ethnology
ISBN : 9780691171876

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How Evolution Shapes Our Lives by Jonathan B. Losos,Richard Lenski Pdf

" It is easy to think of evolution as something that happened long ago, or that occurs only in "nature," or that is so slow that its ongoing impact is virtually nonexistent when viewed from the perspective of a single human lifetime. But we now know that when natural selection is strong, evolutionary change can be very rapid. In this book, some of the world's leading scientists explore the implications of this reality for human life and society. With some twenty-five essays, this volume provides authoritative yet accessible explorations of why understanding evolution is crucial to human life--from dealing with climate change and ensuring our food supply, health, and economic survival to developing a richer and more accurate comprehension of society, culture, and even what it means to be human itself. Combining new essays with ones revised and updated from the acclaimed Princeton Guide to Evolution, this collection addresses the role of evolution in aging, cognition, cooperation, religion, the media, engineering, computer science, and many other areas. The result is a compelling and important book about how evolution matters to humans today. The contributors include Francisco J. Ayala, Dieter Ebert, Elizabeth Hannon, Richard E. Lenski, Tim Lewens, Jonathan B. Losos, Jacob A. Moorad, Mark Pagel, Robert T. Pennock, Daniel E. L. Promislow, Robert C. Richardson, Alan R. Templeton, and Carl Zimmer."--

Author : Erminio Peter Volpe
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 175 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 1970
Category : Evolution
ISBN : OCLC:223159974

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Understanding Evolution by Erminio Peter Volpe Pdf

Author : Donald R. Prothero
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 891 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2017-08-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780231543163

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Evolution by Donald R. Prothero Pdf

Donald R. Prothero’s Evolution is an entertaining and rigorous history of the transitional forms and series found in the fossil record. Its engaging narrative of scientific discovery and well-grounded analysis has led to the book’s widespread adoption in courses that teach the nature and value of fossil evidence for evolution. Evolution tackles systematics and cladistics, rock dating, neo-Darwinism, and macroevolution. It includes extensive coverage of the primordial soup, invertebrate transitions, the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, and the transformation from early hominid to modern human. The book also details the many alleged “missing links” in the fossil record, including some of the most recent discoveries that flesh out the fossil timeline and the evolutionary process. In this second edition, Prothero describes new transitional fossils from various periods, vividly depicting such bizarre creatures as the Odontochelys, or the “turtle on the half shell”; fossil snakes with legs; and the “Frogamander,” a new example of amphibian transition. Prothero’s discussion of intelligent design arguments includes more historical examples and careful examination of the “experiments” and observations that are exploited by creationists seeking to undermine sound science education. With new perspectives, Prothero reframes creationism as a case study in denialism and pseudoscience rather than a field with its own intellectual dynamism. The first edition was hailed as an exemplary exploration of the fossil evidence for evolution, and this second edition will be welcome in the libraries of scholars, teachers, and general readers who stand up for sound science in this post-truth era.