Biodiversity Loss in the Age of the Sixth Mass Extinction was co-authored by undergraduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (USA) while exploring issues of extinction and conservation of biodiversity. The book highlights key interests and insights of current students in their quest to create a better world.

Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the features that characterized the earliest animals and when they appeared on earthExplain the significance of the Cambrian period for animal evolution and the changes in animal diversity that took place during that timeDescribe some of the unresolved questions surrounding the Cambrian explosionDiscuss the implications of mass animal extinctions that have occurred in evolutionary history

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Define biodiversityDescribe biodiversity as the equilibrium of naturally fluctuating rates of extinction and speciationIdentify historical causes of high extinction rates in Earth’s history

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain how classical conditioning occursSummarize the processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination

Think science has all the answers? Think again. This course will use real, authentic data to explore and investigate modern controversies in Earth Sciences. Use tide gauge records to understand how countries around the world attempt to protect themselves from tsunami events. Process seismic data to predict earthquake recurrence in the New Madrid seismic zone, right here in the breadbasket of the US. Sort through the millions of years of the geologic timeline to shed some light on what actually did, and did not, kill the dinosaurs. Finally, use global atmospheric data to understand how misrepresentation of data can be used to paint a distorted view of past, present, and future climate.

The goal of this virtual field trip to Iridium Hill, Montana is to investigate the disappearance of dinosaur fossils above the Cretaceous/ Tertiary boundary. The site provides rock outcrop photos of Cretaceous and Tertiary strata (Hell Creek and Fort Union Formations), stratigraphic sections and supporting text for this classic iridium-bearing locality. Topics include the K/T boundary, iridium concentrations, stratigraphy, sedimentology and, fluvial and lacustrine depositional environments.

Current Challenges in Biodiversity and Conservation, Volume 1 is the third book created by undergraduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts (USA). The series examines the causes and consequences of global biodiversity loss and species extinction.What's new? This open text format promotes the adaptation of materials. After all, biodiversity loss and conservation efforts are rapidly changing, and this information must be updated to stay relevant and accessible.Citation: Bakermans, M.H., L. Hanly, and W. San Martín, Eds. 2023. Current Challenges in Biodiversity and Conservation, Volume 1. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA. https://doi.org/10.55900/n3bqx5fpThis book is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0..

In this class we will critically review both classical works and recent literature on complexity in ecology. The emphasis will be on developing quantitative theories in the context of experimental and observational data. We will meet twice weekly for roundtable discussions.

Species extinction is happening at an alarming rate according to scientists. In this lesson, students are asked to consider why extinction is a problem that we should concern us. They are taught that destruction of habitat is the main reason many species are threatened. The lesson explores ways that engineers can help save endangered species.

Why do some organisms go extinct? What impact do humans play in the extinction of animals? What can we do about it? If something is extinct is it truly gone forever? These are some of the major questions that conservation biologists are currently asking. Extinction is when a species no longer has any living members in the wild or in captivity. Extinction can happen for a number of reasons including habitat loss, overhunting, and climate change. Mass extinction is widespread extinction across many species. Right now, we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction event on Earth and it has been primarily caused human activity. Conservation biologists have been hard at work coming up with solutions to prevent extinction of organisms at risk, however, extinction still occurs. But does it have to be permanent? This module walks students through the major processes that cause extinction, what strategies conservation has used so far to prevent extinction, what de-extinction is, and what consequences de-extinction may have through the use of videos, research, and a class debate. 

Geysers and grizzlies and glaciers, oh my. The national parks may be America's best idea, saving the finest parts of the nation for everyone to enjoy forever. What better way to learn about the natural world than to tour the parks with us? We'll explore how the mountains and valleys formed and why they often come with volcanoes and earthquakes. You'll see what really killed the dinosaurs and how we can help save their modern relatives in the parks. With film clips, slide shows, and our geological interpretations of classic rock songs, isn't it time for a road trip?

This is a YouTube channel with about three dozen short (15 min) talks about various topics related to learning and behavior or conditioning and learning. The talks cover the full range of topics typically included in a course on learning, including habituation, classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, schedules of reinforcement, theories of reinforcement, behavioral economics, the Premack principle, extinction, stimulus control, and memory, The talks were written and delivered by Michael Domjan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and are based on Domjan's popular textbooks, The Principles of Learning and Behavior (published by Cengage) and The Essentials of Conditioning and Learning (published by the American Psychological Association). The number of talks and range of topics is sufficient to make up all of the lectures needed for a course on learning.

If you follow environmental news at all, you'll be familiar with the most common cause of extinction in the world today: habitat loss. Habitat destruction threatens the survival of some the world's most charismatic organisms animals like the giant panda, the Sumatran tiger, and the Asian elephant. Humans have encroached on the wilderness in order to farm, mine, log, and build, and in the process, we've pushed the natural inhabitants of those areas into smaller and smaller refuges. Making matters worse, global climate change caused by our production of greenhouse gases is altering the environments within those refuges, forcing species to contend with new challenges. While these might seem like entirely modern problems, recent research indicates that's not the case and that current levels of habitat loss and climate change could have devastating consequences.