Pavlovian fear conditioning is a widely used behavioral paradigm for studying associative learning in rodents. Despite early recognition that subjects may engage in a variety of both conditioned and unconditioned responses, the last several decades have seen the field narrow its focus to measure freezing as the sole indicator of conditioned fear.…

Balancing exploration and anti-predation are fundamental to the fitness and survival of all animal species from early life stages. How these basic survival instincts drive learning remains poorly understood. Here, using a light/dark preference paradigm with well-controlled luminance history and constant visual surrounding in larval zebrafish, we…

In recent years, exposures to organophosphate pesticide have been highlighted as a possible cause or aggravating factor of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study examined if Wistar rats prenatally exposed to chlorpyrifos (CPF) at a dose of 1 mg/kg in GD 12.5-15.5 could express similar behaviors to those exposed to valproic acid (VPA,…

This paper examines recent evidence from behavioral and neuroscience research with nonhuman animals that suggests the intriguing possibility that they, like their human counterparts, are vulnerable to creating false memories. Once considered a uniquely human memory phenomenon, the creation of false memories in lower animals can be seen especially…

Undergraduate research experiences have well-established benefits on undergraduate education, such as improved critical thinking, professional development, and increased interest in graduate studies. In addition, the host faculty can benefit by increasing their research impact and gaining exposure to potential graduate candidates. In the…

Using the comparative approach, researchers draw inferences about the evolution of cognition. Psychologists have postulated several hypotheses to explain why certain species are cognitively more flexible than others, and these hypotheses assume that certain cognitive skills are linked together to create a generally "smart" species.…

Since 1984, many animal science postsecondary institutions had incorporated experiential learning into courses and programs, including equine programs. Even with the incorporated experiential learning, equine experts were finding students postgraduation were substandard with equine technical skills experiences. Although many studies had addressed…

Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest environmental issues in the world today and the biodiversity literacy of citizens can be key to counteracting this. Considering that children can be change agents and actively take part in decision-making from early years, we have assessed the native fauna identification skills of Primary School students…

In this article, we experiment with a form of dark pedagogy, a pedagogy that confronts haunting pasts-presents-futures in environmental education. We offer a conceptualisation of ghosts that enables us to creatively explore the duration of things and consider the relationality of time. We examine this through two situated contexts, engaging with…

Evolution is the integrative framework of the life sciences. Even though the topic is often not formally introduced before high school, young children already have various ideas about evolutionary principles (variation, inheritance, and selection) and their underlying key concepts (e.g., differential fitness, reproduction, and speciation).…

The aim of this study is to examine the opinions of prospective teachers about biology and nature-related activities for mentally disabled students. The survey method was used in this quantitative study. Attitude scale towards biology and nature-related activities for mentally disabled students was used as a data collection tool. The scale was…

This comparative study looks into the image of the wolf in Genghis Aitmatov's "Plakha" and Jack London's "White Fang." For this purpose, first, the concept of the wolf in fiction is discussed, and the representation of wolves in these two texts is analyzed. This study explores the relationship between wolves and human beings as…

The aim of this article is to present the issue of "social reproduction" and the persistence of identity among young fishermen in Senegal. The authors conducted field surveys among young fishermen at various locations on the Senegalese coast. Field surveys were conducted with 700 young fishermen aged between 15 and 24 years. This…

Amid COVID-19, children's interactions with pet animals in the household were at times strengthened, strained, or established anew. Extensive periods of confinement made the home environment not only the site for most family activities but also the hub for children's school and many adults' work. Research on the role of pets during the pandemic…

The purpose of this collective instrumental case study was to understand the motivational factors that support families' decisions to exhibit livestock. The expectancy value theory served as the theoretical lens, and a review of literature led to four issues to be explored. Four typical family cases were identified, and interviews were conducted.…