The discovery of the platypus had the scientific world in an uproar and kept it tantalized for decades. Here was the strangest animal ever seen. How was one to classify it? It had fur. So, was it a mammal? But then what to make of its duck-like bill? And how did it produce and suckle its young? Based on the book by Ann Moyal titled Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World, the case focuses on classification and evolution and models the scientific process, with scientists arguing, debating, collecting more information, and revising their opinions as more data become available.

Based on a performance by Beth Galston, Ellen Sebring, and Sarah Skaggs. 'Aviary' is a melancholic mood piece that deals with themes of constraint and freedom. In this short sequence, images of a bird flying are superimposed over the figure of a lone female floating in a swimming pool.

This is of help in planning teaching strategies in the biological sciences for students with visual or orthopedic disabilities.

The Cardiovascular Construction Kit (CVCK) allows students to design and construct a wide range of cardiovascular systems, testing each one to see how it behaves and whether it could actually exist and survive in a real organism. CVCK provides a set of basic components, e.g., pumps, vessels, capillaries and so on, which may be pieced together to construct a cardiovascular system. Gauges and measurement techniques are provided so you can draw conclusions from your experiments. Note: CVCK is a MAC Archive Module and requires System 6.05 to System 6.07.

To construct cardiovascular systems with CVCK, select components from the menu bars, drag them onto the main screen, and connect them together by making them touch.

CVCK makes it possible to construct experiments as well as systems. Such experiments allow comparisons of the performance of systems with different configurations or characteristics.

One constructs experiments by deciding what aspects of performance need to be measured and by hooking up gauges at appropriate places.

Gauges that can measure variables like pressure and blood flow can be connected to the components, and the values that are read from these gauges can be displayed in the form of a graph.

This case examines the hormonal control of the development and maturation to adulthood and the role of stress hormones in that developmental process. The case was adapted from results summarized in Maggioncalda and Sapolsky's (2002) article in Scientific American. It presents evidence for why an unusual adaptation for reproduction in subordinate male primates may have evolved as a means of reducing stress. Students are presented with data from the published studies and asked to analyze and interpret the results to formulate hypotheses. Initially developed for an upper division endocrinology course, the case has been used in an upper division comparative anatomy-physiology course, and could be used in an animal behavior or behavioral ecology course.

This interrupted case study focuses on the research of Dr. Beatrice Hahn, who investigates DNA sequences in chimpanzee droppings in order to explore the origins of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Students first consider the types of data that can be gained through collecting chimpanzee feces and studying the behavior of these animals. Students then apply this information to learn more about microevolution when they compare DNA sequences. Finally, students learn about ELISA tests and consider the role of basic and applied science. This case study is appropriate for an introductory biology course for non-majors or majors.

This "clicker case" is a redesign of a case, also in our collection, by Robert H. Grant titled "A Strange Fish Indeed: The 'Discovery' of a Living Fossil." The case follows the story of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and her discovery of the coelacanth, a fish of considerable evolutionary interest. It uses the story as a springboard to explore evolutionary concepts and the scientific method. It has been reformatted to use student personal response systems ("clickers") and a PowerPoint presentation (~4.2MB), and further emphasizes the role of Ms. Courtenay-Latimer. The case is designed for large introductory biology courses.

This experiment is meant to study water regulation in mollusks by observing the reaction of slugs, which are closely related to mollusks, to excess water.

This case explores the aggressive mimicry behavior of the femme fatale firefly - female fireflies in the genus Photuris that mimic the flash pattern of females in the genus Photinus in order to lure Photinus males to their death. The case consists of a series of fictionalized field book entries that are based on an article by J.E. Lloyd that originally appeared in Science in 1965, as well as a series of handouts that the instructor presents to the students for analysis and discussion in class in a progressive disclosure format.

A hands-on workshop providing participants with an opportunity to work with Jamba to create interactive tutorials for the Internet including: drag and drop, animation, fill in the blank and multiple-choice questions, and interactive slide shows for student learning.

This "clicker case" about female mimicry in spawning salmon was developed for an introductory-level, non-majors biology course to help address one of the most common misconceptions that students have about natural selection, namely, that only the "strong" survive and reproduce. Female mimicry is an alternative male reproductive strategy. As observed in spawning salmon, some males assume certain female characteristics that enable them to remain close to reproducing females without being viewed as competition by more dominant males. Students learn about concepts of natural selection, including overproduction and differential reproductive success, as well as patterns of natural selection. The case is presented in class via a PowerPoint presentation (~3MB) that is punctuated by multiple-choice questions students answer using personal response systems ("clickers").

Methods for the collection and the culturing of a variety of experimental organisms used in teaching biology are discussed. The organisms include protozoans, hydra, planaria, vinegar eels, aquatic snails, Daphnia, brine shrimp, frogs, turtles, flesh flies, and Tenebrio. Culturing parameters, overall care, handling, diet, feeding procedures, and specific environmental conditions are examined.

This "clicker case" teaches students about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes of behavior using the fascinating courtship and mating rituals of the Australian redback spider. The case is presented in class via a PowerPoint presentation (~3MB) punctuated by multiple-choice questions that the students answer using personal response systems, or "clickers." It could be adapted for use without these technologies. Although developed for a general biology class, the case would also be suitable for use in non-majors introductory biology or behavioral ecology courses.

'The Dogs' is set on a bright, summer day at a seemingly benign seashore inhabited by a nervous, beer-drinking protagonist and a dark, panting dog. This is a narrative that has no dialogue but is structured in movement of the man, of the dog (who is both harmless and menacing by turns), as well as all the camera work moving to the right in a clockwise direction that captures images in vivid color, creating an unsettling spin. A psychological study of shifts in memory and the perception of reality, 'The Dogs' is both humorous and haunting; a portrait of a man moving through a mythical landscape of fear, longing, and Ballantine ale cans. The work alternately shows the man seated in a living room interior, drinking glasses of beer and swallowing pills, and walking down an overrun path to the ocean. Along the way, he is startled or distracted by the sound of a barking dog. Eventually, he reaches the ocean. During the piece, 'The Star Spangled Banner' is performed by Kate Smith.

One of the most important factors in the success of undergraduate biology laboratories rests with the instructors, often undergraduate or graduate students, who teach them. This ABLE 2000 workshop, which continued a session presented at ABLE 1999, focused on the theme "teaching effectively in the laboratory." Topics included preparation, organization, supervision of group work, and involvement of students in discussion. In addition to presentations by the workshop organizers, participants engaged in lively discussion of their own experiences and methods.

This study examines the metabolic costs of osmoregulation in a freshwater fish, the black molly (Poecilia latipinna). It could be used in either an upper-level ecology or physiology course. Students evaluate the metabolic rate of a fish at a particular salinity by measuring the continuous decrease in oxygen concentration in a sealed chamber over a ten-minute period, or the initial and final oxygen concentrations over a twenty-minute period. Metabolic rate is the slope of oxygen concentration versus time, or change in oxygen concentration divided by time. By measuring metabolic rate at different salinities, students evaluate the metabolic cost of osmoregulation.

Using the Extend 'connect-the-components' visual programming, students can model and simulate ecosystems including social and economic forces as well as study parameter variations to develop an understanding of ecosystem function and productivity.

By making 'what if...' changes in the model, the effects of various proposed decisions about the environment can then be shown.

EDM includes three ecological systems: Ponds, Grasslands, and Logging. Students can predict results of changes in the models and explore relationships.

First, you diagram a model of the system showing parts and connections among them. For example, components of the model, such as the sun, are placed on the computer screen. Each component is linked to the others with a mathematical relationship, such as the transfer of the sun's energy to plants.

Values are entered into block dialog boxes to characterize the interactions of the components, such as the amount of sunlight at a particular location or the initial number of bluegill in a pond. When the simulation is run, you can see the growth curves of the various components of the system.

Did you ever wonder why a camel has a hump? If you can really tell the weather by listening to the chirp of a cricket? Or why our joints make popping sounds? These questions deal with everyday phenomena that we often take for granted, but each can be explained scientifically. Everyday Mysteries will help you get the answers to these and many other of life's most interesting questions through scientific inquiry. In addition, we will introduce you to the Library of Congress' rich collections in science and technology.

Sexual selection has led to the evolution of interesting traits and behaviors in many animal species. In widowbirds, males undergo a dramatic change in plumage coloration and produce exceptionally long tail feathers during the breeding season. This change in appearance has facets of both intrasexual and intersexual selection. As students work through this interrupted case, they develop hypotheses and propose corresponding experiments. They are then presented with data from actual experiments on sexual selection in widowbirds that they must analyze and interpret. Developed for introductory-level biology students, the case could be adapted for upper-division ecology and evolution courses.