Evolution

Class Notes

Quizlet study set: Evolution 1
Quizlet study set: Evolution 2
PBS Interactive Evolution Lab Build understanding of the links between evolution, paleontology, and genetics through interactive cladograms (this one is *really* good)
Don’t let bunnies take over the world! An excellent interactive simulation of natural selection from PhET, which allows you to examine the relationship between alleles, dominance, environments, and survivorship. The embedded activity sheet below turns this simulation into a virtual lab.
Understanding Evolution at the University of California – Berkeley. Densely packed with information and thoroughly researched. I use this site as a main reference for my evolution units. The site has been around a long time and is showing its age, but it’s still highly useful.

An introduction to the scientific theory of evolution via natural selection.

The process of natural selection, clearly explained.

A clear explanation of the complicated course of human evolution.

There’s a lot of evidence indicating that life has been evolving throughout Earth’s history. Here’s an introduction to that evidence.

Paul Andersen summarizes the main lines of evidence supporting evolutionary theory.

The earliest forms of life on Earth were quite different from what we see today, but there are some key commonalities that connect us across time.

Life originated in Earth’s oceans before colonizing dry land. Here’s the story of how that happened.

Here’s a video that clarifies some common misconceptions about evolution and the process of natural selection.

Myths and misconceptions about evolution TED-Ed resources supporting the video above

A debatable question for the evolution unit: “Does it really matter?”

Building on the idea of life’s oceanic origins, the coelacanth has a story to tell about evolution.

One line of evidence supporting evolutionary theory is comparative anatomy. Feathers are one part of that evidence.

It’s not just girls who wanna have fun – other species play as well.

We know about the evolution of past life forms. Are we ready for where evolution leads us in the future?

Are we ready for neo-evolution? Where evolution and genetics overlap in real time.

Yep – birds are the closet living relatives of dinosaurs. Even chickens.