This study was designed to investigate whether a student's responses to test questions about natural selection were influenced by the extent of the student's identification with the organism. The hypothesis was that a student would be reluctant to invoke the ravages of natural selection upon species with which they possessed a greater empathy than…

Briefly discusses the origin and radiation of mammals through the different geologic eras. (PEB)

Argues that the term skeleton is not a word denoting a structure but a word denoting a function--that of allowing animals the freedom of self-motivated purposive local motion. Indeed a skeleton is a necessary prerequisite for there to be locomotion at all.'' (Author/AL)

Argues that future-oriented" open questions are a necessary component of effective instruction. (AL)

Proposes models for the evolution of the genetic code and translation mechanisms. Suggests that the translation process is so complex and precise that it must have evolved in many stages, and that the evolution of the code was influenced by the constraints imposed by the evolving translation mechanism. (EB)

Reports on presentations representing evolution at the 53rd annual meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) which was held March 22-24, 2002. Explains evolutionary patterns, phylogenetic pageantry, molecular clocks, speciation and biogeography, speciation and macroevolution, and human-induced evolution of drugs-resistant…

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…

Animals have many adaptations that help them survive in their environment and meet their special needs of food and shelter. This month's column focuses on two such adaptations: camouflage and beaks.

Biological evolutionary processes select for heritable behaviors providing a survival and reproductive advantage. Accordingly, how we behave is, at least in part, affected by the evolutionary history of our species. This research uses evolutionary psychology as the theoretical perspective for exploring the relationship between a heritable…

Since 2005, the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE), with generous funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, has been conducting research to understand the needs and practices of faculty for in-progress scholarly communication (i.e., forms of communication employed as research is being executed) as well as archival publication. This…

As twenty-first century skills become a greater focus in K-12 education, an infusion of technology that meets the needs of today's students is paramount. This study looks at the design and creation of a Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application (MEGA) for high school biology students. The quasi-experimental, qualitative design assessed the…

The present article reports on the results of a three-year German-wide program Biology in Context ("bik"). In this program teachers and researchers worked together in 10 learning communities with the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in biology classrooms as mandated by the recently passed National Educational…

We describe a unique Research Experience for Undergraduates and Research Experience for Veterinary students summer program at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The program focused on interdisciplinary research at the interface of biology and mathematics.…