New evolution resource site online

Posted 12 May 2009 by Richard B. Hoppe

There is a wide array of resources on the web about evolution, ranging from public access to technical papers available via PubMed to the excellent Understanding Evolution site operated by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the National Center for Science Education. The grand daddy of them all, of course, is the TalkOrigins Archive. Now a new resource has been established by T. Ryan Gregory, evolutionary biologist and blogger at Genemicron. It's called Evolver Zone, and is "a resource for students, teachers, and researchers with an interest in evolution." Evolver Zone is a collection of a wide range of resources on evolution, from online databases to software to teaching resources to multimedia (including games!). I haven't browsed the whole site yet, but what I've seen looks to be very useful, particularly for advanced high school and undergraduate classes. Gregory tells us the site is a work in progress, so check back often for new additions.

10 Comments

Anon E. Moose · 12 May 2009

It looks like it could shape up to be a very good resource after it starts hosting some original content. At the moment, it's basically just a collection of links (albeit to decent material).

I find the name and the merchandise a bit tacky as well.

Gary Hurd · 12 May 2009

There are some other online troves of anti-creationist inforamtion worth a bookmark;

Analysis of Kent Hovind,

Dealing with Creationism in Astronomy,

Evolution, Scientific Creation, Uniformitarian Geology, and Flood Geology by Clifford A. Cuffey, and hosted by the Gulf Coast Section of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (GCSSEPM),

and, the famous archive of Glenn Morton.

Don Lindsay maintains an excellent assortment of creationism v. reality pages at the Don Lindsay Creation/Evolution archive.

I recall there is a limit to the number of links used, so I'll stop here, for now

RBH · 12 May 2009

Thanks for the links, Gary.

John Kwok · 13 May 2009

Since we are posting links, allow me to mention three more:

The National Center for Science Education's website (which is still among the most comprehensive):

http://www.ncseweb.org

The British Center for Science Education's website (not nearly as extensive as NCSE's, but still important, especially with respect to ongoing evolution denial activity in the UK):

http://www.bcseweb.org.uk/

Ken Miller's evolution page at his personal website:

http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/

RBH · 13 May 2009

Anon E. Moose said: It looks like it could shape up to be a very good resource after it starts hosting some original content. At the moment, it's basically just a collection of links (albeit to decent material).

So you're a high school biology teacher, with five preps per day, lunch room duty, and an IEP meeting that chews up your preparation period, and you need a class activity on genetics and descent for the substitute who's coming in tomorrow because you've got an all-day curriculum council meeting in the district. Three clicks and you're there. Bear in mind what the site is intended to be, not what someone else might want it to be.

I find the name and the merchandise a bit tacky as well.

[shrug]

Frank J · 13 May 2009

Here's what anti-evolution activists are thinking but would dare not admit:

Gary and John provided links that contain much more anti-evolution material than we'd ever dream of being taught in schools. Unfortunately those links critically analyze the anti-evolution material, and that is unacceptable. Only evolution must be "critically analyzed," and even then, only by the method approved by us, which is not a true critical analysis, but a carefully selected set of misrepresentations designed exclusively to promote unreasonable doubt.

John Kwok · 13 May 2009

More importantly, however, anti-evolution activists are hoping that those who are gullible will ignore their countless lapses of logic which only astute, quite rational, individuals would catch:

Frank J said: Here's what anti-evolution activists are thinking but would dare not admit: Gary and John provided links that contain much more anti-evolution material than we'd ever dream of being taught in schools. Unfortunately those links critically analyze the anti-evolution material, and that is unacceptable. Only evolution must be "critically analyzed," and even then, only by the method approved by us, which is not a true critical analysis, but a carefully selected set of misrepresentations designed exclusively to promote unreasonable doubt.

Gary Hurd · 14 May 2009

A growing problem for anyone without a solid science background is finding reliable information on the internet. A Google search, even their "scholarly" search, will return hundreds, thousands and even millions of hits. Much of the returned materials are creationist tracts.

Ron Okimoto · 19 May 2009

I didn't like getting hit by a jumble of topics. The page could use a site tour page like the "Understanding Evolution" resource site. Just a brief summary description of the resources. Would the visitors know what they were getting into in the Journal section? A beginners outline on how to learn to use the site to build an understanding of evolutionary biology could be useful for the people without science backgrounds.

John Kwok · 19 May 2009

Ron, I just took a look at it and I strongly endorse your assessment:

Ron Okimoto said: I didn't like getting hit by a jumble of topics. The page could use a site tour page like the "Understanding Evolution" resource site. Just a brief summary description of the resources. Would the visitors know what they were getting into in the Journal section? A beginners outline on how to learn to use the site to build an understanding of evolutionary biology could be useful for the people without science backgrounds.

It's definitely not as user-friendly as either the University of California, Berkeley Museum of Paleontology website or NCSE's. I wish it would be, because otherwise, it is defeating its stated purpose of being a resource on evolution for educators and students. Appreciatively yours, John