Provided is a high school activity in which students observe the filter feeding of barnacles and the effects of a variety of changing parameters upon their feeding process. Includes list of materials needed and procedures necessary to accomplish the activity. (JN)

Paleoethology seeks to study behavior of ancient animals by building inferential cases of hypothesized behavior patterns. Discusses paleoethological methods and reasons for studying therapsids. Also discusses metabolic rate and possible existence/use of vomeronasal organ to gain insight into the behavior/physiology of these ancient herbivors. (JN)

Discusses the nature of animal communication, including possible relationships between the physical structure of vocalizations and their functions in communicating. Provides tables of mammalian and avian sounds (by species/family) used in hostile and friendly appeasing contexts. (JN)

The carabid beetle (Notiophilus) preys readily on an easily-cultured collembolan in simple experimental conditions. Some features of this predator-prey system are outlined to emphasize its use in biology instruction. Experiments with another potential collembolan are described in the context of developing the method for more advanced studies.…

Describes an inexpensive technique for providing student opportunities to observe and identify the variety of small animals living in the first few inches below the surface of the soil. A classification key to some small soil animals is also presented. (HM)

Provides insights on the controversial issue of animal rights. Four factors are considered: (1) animals' rights; (2) research; (3) hunting and fishing; and (4) agriculture. Contends that it is imperative that the public knows all the facts before casting their vote on the issue. (ZWH)

Presents an activity that allows students to observe crawling and swimming behavior in Lumbriculus variegatus, a freshwater oligochaete worm. Contains 12 references. (WRM)

Provides a protocol for examining the mechanisms of animal thermoregulation in a straightforward but more sophisticated manner than using a thermal gradient. Describes a methodology for conducting operant conditioning to examine thermal set points for ectothermic animals. Contains 20 references. (WRM)

Previous experiments have shown that unsignaled delayed reinforcement decreases response rates and resistance to change. However, the effects of different delays to reinforcement on underlying response structure have not been investigated in conjunction with tests of resistance to change. In the present experiment, pigeons responded on a…

Conducting observational investigations of behaviors and processes is an important method for generating scientific knowledge. This article describes a methodology for assisting students in the processes of observational inquiry and theory articulation and its instantiation in a set of digital video tools. We describe a high school biology…

In this interrupted case study, based on a journal article on the parenting behavior of American coots, students are given information and data from which they must develop hypotheses and design experiments, mimicking the way that scientists conduct research. The case is appropriate for courses in biology, especially those focusing on evolution…

The cAMP/PKA pathway plays a critical role in learning and memory systems in animals ranging from mice to "Drosophila" to "Aplysia." Studies of olfactory learning in "Drosophila" suggest that altered expression of either positive or negative regulators of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway beyond a certain optimum range may be deleterious. Here we…

The return to drug seeking, even after prolonged periods of abstinence, is a defining feature of cocaine addiction. The neural circuitry underlying relapse has been identified in neuropharmacological studies of experimental animals, typically rats, and supported in brain imaging studies of human addicts. Although the nucleus accumbens (NAcc),…

Neuroscientific approaches to drug addiction traditionally have been based on the premise that addiction is a process that results from brain changes that in turn result from chronic administration of drugs of abuse. An alternative approach views drug addiction as a behavioral disorder in which drugs function as preeminent reinforcers. Although…

Young Maltese children have experience and knowledge of animals. We explored the range of animal with which they are familiar and the origin of this knowledge. The children interviewed were in Pre School, aged 4 years, and in the first year of compulsory education, aged 5 years Verb l questions and photographs were used as the probe to access…