This activity is designed to compare and contrast the anatomy of the leg bones of a bird vs. a human.
In this biology inquiry lab, students study evolutionary relationships by making observations of preserved animal specimens, developing a question, then investigating by dissecting the specimens provided.
In small groups, students experiment and observe the similarities and differences between human-made objects and objects from nature. They compare the function and structure of hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks, tool pliers, bat wings and airplane wings. Observations are recorded in a compare & contrast chart, and then shared in a classroom discussion, along with follow up assessment activities such as journal writing and Venn diagrams.
Explore a NetLogo model of populations of rabbits, grass, and weeds. First, adjust the model to start with a different rabbit population size. Then adjust model variables, such as how fast the plants or weeds grow, to get more grass than weeds. Change the amount of energy the grass or weeds provide to the rabbits and the food preference. Use line graphs to monitor the effects of changes you make to the model, and determine which settings affect the proportion of grass to weeds when rabbits eat both.
This course covers the algorithmic and machine learning foundations of computational biology combining theory with practice. We cover both foundational topics in computational biology, and current research frontiers. We study fundamental techniques, recent advances in the field, and work directly with current large-scale biological datasets.
With the growing availability and lowering costs of genotyping and personal genome sequencing, the focus has shifted from the ability to obtain the sequence to the ability to make sense of the resulting information. This course is aimed at exploring the computational challenges associated with interpreting how sequence differences between individuals lead to phenotypic differences in gene expression, disease predisposition, or response to treatment.
This includes materials to be used for a General Biology II course (or Introduction to Biology II course) for non-science majors.
Explore how populations change over time in a NetLogo model of sheep and grass. Experiment with the initial number of sheep, the sheep birthrate, the amount of energy sheep gain from the grass, and the rate at which the grass re-grows. Remove sheep that have a particular trait (better teeth) from the population, then watch what happens to the sheep teeth trait in the population as a whole. Consider conflicting selection pressures to make predictions about other instances of natural selection.
An interactive lecture in which students use data on feeding habits and habitat, skeletons, and DNA sequences to draw phylogenetic trees.
(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)
An interactive lecture in which students use data on feeding habits and habitat, skeletons, and DNA sequences to draw phylogenetic trees.
What is race? What is ethnicity? How can communication and relationships between men and women be improved? What causes segregation in our society? How do stereotypes develop and why do they persist? How do an individual's racial, ethnic, and sexual identities form and develop? This course explores these topics and more.
Tim White, Professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, joins host Harry Kreisler for a discussion of how science is changing our understanding of mankind's origins. (53 min)
Sophia Tintori and Cassandra Extavour talk about the evolution and development of multicellular organisms, and in particular the specialization of reproductive cells.
This activity is a side project that students work on through the organismal portion of a course in paleobiology/paleontology. Students present on the lifestyle, habitat, and behavior of "living fossil" groups. The activity ties the fossil record to the modern living world and allows students to engage with ideas of evolutionary stasis, taphonomy, and functional morphology.
(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)
DNA weaves together the tapestry of life on Earth. It mutates, which can lead to variation among organisms. Watch how natural selection relies on DNA to mold organisms to suit their environments.
The AMNH Darwin Manuscripts Project is a historical and textual edition of Charles Darwin's scientific manuscripts, designed from its inception as an online project. The database at its coreŰÓDARBASEŰÓcatalogues some 45,000 Darwin scientific manuscripts. These are currently represented by 15,125 high resolution digital images. Thus far 7,428 manuscript pages have been transcribed to exacting standards and all are presented in easy to read format. New material will be added.
Humans are social animals; social demands, both cooperative and competitive, structure our development, our brain and our mind. This course covers social development, social behaviour, social cognition and social neuroscience, in both human and non-human social animals. Topics include altruism, empathy, communication, theory of mind, aggression, power, groups, mating, and morality. Methods include evolutionary biology, neuroscience, cognitive science, social psychology and anthropology.
To prepare for this assignment, the students read the Chapter 17
"Galapagos Archipelago" from The Voyage of the Beagle. In class we have
discussed Darwin's theory of evolution as outlined in the first edition
of the Origin of Species. The students need to examine Chapter 17 to
find those observations that Darwin made in 1835 that support the his
theory of evolution that was published 24 years later in 1859.
(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)
As part of the University of Nottingham, School of Biology's 200 years of Darwin celebrations,
evolutionary geneticist Professor John Brookfield in full Victorian attire delivered a talk, as Darwin, on the theory of evolution via natural selection.
In this video Professor John Brookfield is interviewed about his experience of being Darwin for a day
Interview took place March 2009
Suitable for Undergraduate study and community education
Professor John Brookfield, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, School of Biology
Professor John Brookfield has a BA in Zoology, University of Oxford 1976; PhD in Population Genetics, University of London 1980; He has worked as a Research Demonstrator in Genetics, University College of Swansea 1979-1981; Visiting Fellow, Laboratory of Genetics, The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina 1981-1983; Lecturer in Genetics, University of Leicester 1983-1986; Lecturer (1987), Reader (1997) and Professor of Evolutionary Genetics (2004) University of Nottingham. He was Managing Editor, Heredity (2000-2003). Vice-President (External Affairs), Genetics Society 2008-, Appointed Fellow of the Institute of Biology, 2009. Member RAE Biological Sciences Panel and Sub-Panel, 2001 and 2008.
As part of the University of Nottingham, School of Biology's 200 years of Darwin celebrations,
evolutionary geneticist Professor John Brookfield in full Victorian attire delivered a talk, as Darwin, on the theory of evolution via natural selection.
In this video Professor John Brookfield is interviewed about his experience of being Darwin for a day
Interview took place March 2009
Suitable for Undergraduate study and community education
Professor John Brookfield, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, School of Biology
Professor John Brookfield has a BA in Zoology, University of Oxford 1976; PhD in Population Genetics, University of London 1980; He has worked as a Research Demonstrator in Genetics, University College of Swansea 1979-1981; Visiting Fellow, Laboratory of Genetics, The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina 1981-1983; Lecturer in Genetics, University of Leicester 1983-1986; Lecturer (1987), Reader (1997) and Professor of Evolutionary Genetics (2004) University of Nottingham. He was Managing Editor, Heredity (2000-2003). Vice-President (External Affairs), Genetics Society 2008-, Appointed Fellow of the Institute of Biology, 2009. Member RAE Biological Sciences Panel and Sub-Panel, 2001 and 2008.