Chapter 22 Useful Websites
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Galápagos
- Research scientists from around the world visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to perform research in a wide variety of areas, such as evolutionary biology, geology, ecotourism, climatology, and population genetics.
- Online Literature Library: Charles Darwin
- You can read the complete texts of Darwin's The Descent of Man, The Voyage of the Beagle, and The Origin of Species.
- UCMP Exhibit Halls: Evolution Entrance
- The University of California Museum of Paleontology site is one of the most understandable and comprehensive on evolution and diversity. This first link presents the theory of evolution and short, readable, elementary biographies of 20 or so individuals, including Erasmus and Charles Darwin, Lamarck, Cuvier, and Wallace. Useful for historical background, with portraits and Web links provided.
- Learning from the Fossil Record
- This minisite is a nice primer for understanding fossils and paleontology.
- Paleontology Without Walls
- Your visit to The University of California Museum of Paleontology online exhibit will enable you to explore phylogeny (the family of life), the geologic time of the organisms that lived, and the evolutionary thought of the various scientists that developed the theory of evolution. Extensive information is tucked away in each of the links on each of the well-designed pages.
- The Talk.Origins Archive
- Talk.Origins is a usenet newsgroup devoted to the debate on biological and physical origins. Discussions at this interesting site mainly center on the creation/evolution controversy. It is definitely pro-evolution but does offer information from both perspectives. The information contained here is not always scientifically valid, but it is all part of the debate.
- Five Major Misconceptions about Evolution (and a Rebuttal)
- This FAQ of the Talk.Origins Archive lists what many evolutionists believe to be the five most common misconceptions about evolution. There is also a link to a creationist rebuttal. This is an excellent place to begin to understand the debate.
- Galápagos Conservation Trust
- The Galápagos Conservation Trust is affiliated with the Charles Darwin Foundation, which operates the Charles Darwin Research Station on the Galápagos island of Santa Cruz.
- Principia Cybernetica: Evolutionary Theory
- This interesting site examines the philosophy of evolutionary systems. Of particular interest are the meticulous definitions of much of the terminology associated with evolution and evolutionary theory.
- Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science
- This is an excellent resource for teachers of evolution. It includes an analysis of why evolution should be taught and a list of classroom activities. Each activity is designed to take students through steps in scientific inquiry: engage (start), explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Critical thinking skills can be acquired in these exercises.
- The C. Warren Irvin, Jr., Collection of Charles Darwin and Darwiniana
- This unique and interesting collection from the University of South Carolina has been formed to carefully reflect Darwin's writings and interests and to place them in context with those of his peers and predecessors.
- Tree of Life
- David and Wayne Maddison sponsor this site at the University of Arizona. It aspires to show the phylogeny of all life (or as much of life as possible), but it is as yet very incomplete. The phylogenies of individual taxa are added from time to time by expert contributors. From the root page, you can follow the tree of life by clicking on taxonomic names (there is no information for the other names). The site also includes references, Web links, and illustrations for some taxa.
- The Fish out of Time
- This website, run by the Coelacanth Rescue Mission, is a comprehensive archive of information on the coelacanth, the only extant member of the lobe-finned fishes. The coelacanth, a 400-million-year-old "living fossil," appears to have four legs. Once thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs, it was discovered 60 years ago.
- Which Embryo Is Human?
- A demonstration of embryological homologies. Can you distinguish among fish, chicken, dog, lizard, and human embryos?
- Evidences for Evolution
- Test your knowledge of the evidence of evolution by playing concentration, word search, or a matching game.
- Evolution and Natural Selection
- Lecture outlines that explain, with examples, the process of natural selection and the different modes of natural selection. When you are confident of your mastery of this material, you can take a self-quiz.
