The Shape of Life - The Shape of Life was an 8-hour PBS series that aired in the U.S. in April 2002. Each hour-long segment has its own section on this beautiful website, which is as professional as they come. Each segment focuses on one or two questions in the history of life and a particular organism that helps answer. The questions range from "How did animals begin to move?" to "What caused the rapid appearance of new kinds of animals 520 million years ago?" Clearly, full answers are not given, but each section has a brief summary of the current state of knowledge before it jumps into research by particular scientists. These sections are the highlight of the site, as one gets to find out about current research by at least 15 different groups. Everything is written for a general audience, and beautiful photos along with the occasional video clip stud the text. Finally, there are indexes to all of the images used, species studied, and researchers profiled, with links chosen by the producers and the scientists. In the end, some readers might find themselves wanting more details, but the materials that are available are handsomely presented and fascinating. Rating: 9 out of 10 (21 December 2002) AS
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/shapeoflife/
Becoming Human - Becoming human is the prize winning website of the Institute of Human Origins, associated to the Arizona State University, USA. Written by a prestigious ensemble of experts from the different fields of palaeontology, it accompanies us from the first hominids discovered in Ethiopia, through four millions years of human evolution, to our to our own species, explaining links, anatomy and culture along the way. Before embarking on the site, you will need a macromedia flash layer 5, high speed connection, loudspeakers and plenty of time. 'Becominghuman' is divided into three main sections: the documentaries, learning centre and news and views, the last section is constantly and continually being updated. The documentaries are commentated films. These are packed full of all sorts of related information so, to get the most out of them, I suggest clicking on the "help" button which will explain how the system works. This is because the films are 'interrupted' every now and then by 'learn more' signals, which access to even more mini-films/commentaries/summaries - for example, the 'interpreting evidence' inset goes deeper into geological phenomena and how fossils were cemented, fossil pollens, measuring foot step strides etc. etc.. If 'becominghuman' is to be used as a work tool, then open up "related resources" too, as this section offers an excellent glossary, bibliography and web-index on line. The tool bar at the bottom of the documentaries also includes a highly useful 'hominid profile' that summarises details of the age, diet, habitat etc. of the twelve hominids we meet, with the possibility of examining the most recent skulls in detail by rotation. The learning centre offers down-loadable lessons and printable handouts on a variety of subjects. For those with a passion for palaeoanthropology, this site is a must, to be book-marked and revisited again and again.. Apart from the outstanding content and excellent presentation, the text of 'becominghuman' is beautifully written, giving us a fine example of scientific writing in itself, and is clearly and pleasantly spoken. Rating: 10+ out of 10 (7 December 2002) CCL
http://www.becominghuman.org/
Evolution - PBS sites are marked by top-notch graphics and layouts that are effortless to navigate. There is enough animation to keep interest up without becoming annoying and obtrusive. For the Evolution series of programs, there is an overview of each show, beginning with a discussion of Darwin. The series moves through bioversity, mass extinctions, survival, the reasons for sex, the appearance of humans, and the role that religion plays in evolution theories. Videos, slide shows, and web activities enhance the experience, and an online course for the teaching of evolution is available. For students, a special multimedia section helps further understanding of the subject.The library link points to related essays, books, videos, and games. Rating: 10 out of 10 (10 September 2002) AD
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
The Alfred Russel Wallace Page - Alfred Russel Wallace was a naturalist who explored the Amazon, the Malay archipelago, and Indonesia, gathering countless samples of plant and insect life. An evolutionist whose thoughts are sometimes mistakenly assumed to precede those of Darwin, he was also a prodigious author, lecturer, and spiritualist. The material is well organized, extremely legible, and easy to access. The work of a scholar who has researched the works of Wallace for over 20 years, what might have developed into a dry read is, instead, filled with fascinating information about a remarkable individual. A portrait of the scientist emerges, fleshed out with his very human tribulations. There is a section devoted to correcting Wallace misinformation. You will have to search a bit, but Wallace's enthusiastic response to durians is here as well. Rating: 9 out of 10 (15 January 2002) AD
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/index1.htm
The Evolution Revolution - First-year US college students have prepared this site under the umbrella of ThinkQuest Inc., which is described as a global network of students, teachers, parents and technologists dedicated to exploring youth-centred learning on the net. Students do research projects and publish their results on the web in a competitive way and this site is the result of one such project. It is divided into two completely separate versions, one a plain text version and the other a full HTML version. Apart from some pictures and a short interactive section about the Galapagos Islands on the latter version, they both provide the same information. However, the background and text colour on the HTML version are such that the text is quite difficult to read and I preferred the plain text version. The content is excellent and it covers the whole field of evolution from before Darwin to the present day in very great but easily understandable detail. Technical words are highlighted and link to a succinct glossary. Apart from the drawbacks with the HTML version, this is a really excellent source of information about this subject from every possible angle and is a credit to the authors. (30 September 2001) MDH
http://library.thinkquest.org/19926/
The Huxley File - T.H. Huxley was known as the 'bulldog of Darwin', fiercely backing the theory of evolution, and standing up to the creationists, notably in his 'ape grandfather' debate with Archbishop Wilberforce at Oxford. A vast selection of his essays and letters are here, including writings on glacial ice, coral, crayfish, paleontology, and insects, to list just a few. There is also an index of 120 Victorian commentaries on his work, and an eyewitness account of the famous debate. More than a hundred pictures are available. (21 July 2001) AD
http://aleph0.clarku.edu//huxley/
