Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

An Account Of Novice Phylogenetic Tree Construction From The Problem-Solving Research Tradition, Terrance E. Brisbin

Dissertations

Both the content and strategic knowledge used in phylogenetic tree construction are described to account for novice performance. A review of the literature is used to place this research with respect to studies in: problem solving studies (both expert, and novice), the history and practice of evolutionary systematics, and the teaching of evolution. The computer-based problem-solving environment is discussed along with model problems used for the research.

Each of the five research problems consists of an encoded matrix containing phylogenetic data organized by taxa and characters. Twelve participants (high school students) volunteered to solve the research problems, on their own …

Obituary: Elmer Clea Birney, 1940-2000, Hugh H. Genoways, Carleton J. Phillips, Jerry R. Choate, Robert S. Sikes, Kristin M. Kramer

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

On 11 June 2000, Dr. Elmer C. Birney unexpectedly passed away from cardiac arrest suffered while outside caring for his cattle at his home in Blaine, Minnesota. One of his former students, Robert Timm, probably best expressed the immediate reaction of his family and many friends: ‘‘He was too young and in too good of health to be gone so soon.’’ At the time of his death, Elmer was Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, the Curator of Mammals at the Bell Museum of Natural History, and Director of Graduate Studies of the program in Ecology, Evolution …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 12, No. 5, November 2000

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Calendar of events

Grants

Welcome

Congratulations

Publications

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Hexapod Herald - Vol. 12, No. 4, October 2000

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Calendar of events

Grants

Welcome

Faculty news

Graduate student news

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Travel

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Fall 2000 ENTO 905 seminars

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 12, No. 3, August 2000

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

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Faculty news

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Hexapod Herald - Vol. 12, No. 2, June 2000

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

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The Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science April 21-22, 2000 [Program, 112th Meeting], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Program Summary --- 1
General Session Speakers --- 4
Awards --- 7
Symposia Programs --- 8
Special Events --- 8
Poster Sessions --- 9
Section Programs/Special Sessions --- 9
Agricultural Sciences --- 9
Anthropology --- 10, 16
Botany --- 11
Cellular, Molecular & Microbiology --- 17
Chemical Education --- 14
Chemistry: Inorganic, Analytical & Physical --- 18
Chemistry: Organic & Biological --- 18
Conservation --- 19
Earth Science Teaching --- 14
Elementary Science Teaching --- 14
Engineering --- 12
Geology --- 22
Physics --- 23
Physiology --- 23
Psychology & Linguistics --- 25
Science Teaching --- 14, 25
Zoology …

Program Abstracts, 112th Session, Iowa Academy Of Science, April 21-22, 2000, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Presentation abstracts from the annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

112th Session Iowa Academy Of Science Awards Luncheon, April 21, 2000, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Program:

--- Introductions - Neil Bernstein, President
--- Recognition of students participating in various statewide activities - Ernie Schiller, Chair, Student Programs Committee
--- Presentation of scholarship winners and 2001 AJAS representatives - Ernie Schiller, Chair, Student Programs Committee
--- Presentation of Excellence in Science Teaching Awards - Peg Steffen, Director, ESTA Program

Iowa Academy Of Science President's Banquet [112th Session], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Program:

Introductions
Awards:
Distinguished Iowa Science Teaching: James Pease
Distinguished Iowa Science Teaching: Floyd Sandford
Distinguished Service: George Knaphus
Distinguished Iowa Scientist: Erwin E. Klaas
Distinguished Fellow: Robert C. Summerfelt
President's Address - Neil Bernstein
Response - Charlie Martinson, President-Elect
General Sessions II - Dr. Eugene Scott, "The Trouble with Evolution"

How Do We Know There Is A Population-Environment Problem?, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers on Science in a Changing World

Five fictional friends of the author have agreed to meet and talk, hoping that he was right when he claimed that discussion crossing the usual boundaries of their fields would enrich their different inquiries and concerns. Ecolo, a natural and human ecologist, breaks the ice. He wants to marshall scientific knowledge to persuade others of the seriousness of the population problem. He is questioned by Philoso, whose philosophical bent leads her to observe the models that people use and to ask how they support the claims they make. In turn, the other three join in: Activo, an activist who is …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2000

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Calendar of events

Grants

Congratulations

Welcome

Faculty news

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Entomology 905 seminar

Farewell to Ackland Jones from David Keith

Iowa Academy Of Science 112th Annual Meeting [2000]: Advance Program, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2000 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.

Iowa Academy Of Science Membership Directory, 2000-2001, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Table of Contents:

Editorial Board, Journal ... 5
Committees ... 6
Sections ... 18
ISTS Regional Directors ... 22
Awards of Merit ... 24
Excellence in Science Teaching Awards ... 25
Past Presidents ... 26
Membership Roster ... 27
Corporate Sponsors ... 63

Going Beyong The Third Grade Science Kit: An Integrated Thematic Approach, Michele D. Wiederspohn

All Graduate Projects

A project has been developed to aid in the design of a third grade science program and/or to be used as a supplement to any existing third grade science curriculum. The project has been organized into fourteen lesson plans. Each lesson plan includes an overview of the lesson, student learning objectives matched to the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, activities, a list of required materials, an outline of instruction, and the name of a trade book to compliment the lesson. Current literature and research regarding the topic of integrated curriculum were explored.

Distribution And Habitat Of The Southern Two-Lined Salamander, Eurycea Cirrigera, In Will County, Illinois: Implications For Population Management And Monitoring, David Mauger, Timothy Bell, Eric L. Peters

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The southern two-lined salamander (Eurycea cirrigera) was found to occur at numerous localities within the Kankakee River State Park in Will County, Illinois. The species is restricted to small drainages within the Kankakee River valley that have flow consisting of groundwater that discharges at seeps or springs at or within the valley bluff. Cooler water temperatures and possibly other conditions that are associated with water derived from seep or spring sources may be important factors in determining salamander abundance. This is particularly relevant to larval habitat. These observations suggest that the spring or seep-fed larval habitat may be the primary …

Revitalization Of Ephemeral Pools As Frog Breeding Habitat In An Illinois Forest Preserve, Denins Nyberg, Irene Lerner

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Almost all land in the eastern United States that has been acquired to preserve nature was once in agricultural usage, and because of this, alterations of ephemeral pool hydrology are common in forest preserves and parks. These ephemeral pools are an important breeding resource for many amphibian species. We hypothesized that filling drainage ditches and recreating a more natural topography at eroded berms would enhance amphibian populations in the forest preserve. Restoration of the hydrology was begun by volunteers in 1993 and was associated with management to reduce non-native woody vegetation. Three ephemeral pools have had maximum water levels raised …

Statement Of The Position Of The Iowa Academy Of Science On The Validity Of Evolutionary Science And On The Status Of Creationism As A Scientific Explanation Of Natural Phenomena

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Current attempts to introduce "scientific creationism", "creationism", or the Judeo-Christian biblical account of creation, as well as to reframe the discussion around terms such as "abrupt appearance theory", "intelligent design theory", or other disguised forms of creationism into the science classroom along with or instead of evolutionary science are strongly opposed by The Iowa Academy of Science on the grounds that creationism, in whatever form, is a religious doctrine and not science.

Book Review: Wildflowers And Other Plants Of Iowa Wetlands, Paul Christiansen

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Wildflowers and Other Plants of Iowa Wetlands. Sylvan T. Runkeland Dean M. Roosa. 1999. Iowa State University Press. 372 pages. ISBN 0-8138-2174-6 pbk.

Runkel and Roosa have scored again with an impressive book on the plants of Iowa wetlands. The format is similar to their very successful Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie (ISU Press, 1989) with full-page color illustrations of each species with the facing page giving nomenclatural data, range and habitat, leaf, flower and fruit characteristics. Information and interesting facts about the plant, including uses by aborigines and early settlers, follows.

Comparing Species Of Bees For Controlled Pollination Of Helianthus Petiolaris In Field Cages, R. L. Wilson, C. A. Abel, M. E. Brothers

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Honey bees, Apis mellifera, have been used for several years to pollinate caged plant species maintained at the USDA-ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS), Ames, Iowa. Because maintaining large numbers of honey bees is expensive and time consuming, we began looking in 1995 for other pollinator species that can be easily managed and less expensive to maintain than A. mellifera. One species we tested was the hornfaced bee, Osmia cornifrons, a solitary bee imported from Japan in the late 1970s. We also tested a mixture of native bumblebees, Bombus bimaculatus and B. impatiens, which are native to the …

The Status Of The Blacknose Shiner (Notropis Heterolepis) Tn Iowa: A Preliminary Survey, Neil P. Bernstein, Michael Getting, Timothy Kamp, Stevenson Christain, Ryan Smith, Joseph Steele, Steven Steele

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

During the last 45 years, the blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis) has been restricted to a three county area in northwestern Iowa. We surveyed locations where this siltation-intolerant species had been captured to update the status of the fish in the state. Streams were blocked with nets on both the upstream and downstream ends of sample areas, and fish were collected with a backpack electrofisher and seines. Lakes where the blacknose shiner had been found were also sampled. No blacknose shiners were found and several possible explanations are offered for their absence from historical sites.

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Distribution And Abundance Of Three Freshwater Mussel Species (B1valv1a: U Ntontdae) Correlated With Physical Habitat Characteristics In An Iowa Reservoir, J. R. Straka, J. A. Downing

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A rapid drawdown (weeks) of a reservoir allowed us to determine the combined influence of water depth, maximum effective fetch, bottom slope, and substrate characteristics on abundance of three species of freshwater mussels. The three principal mussel species were significantly (PPyganodon grandis(Say) was most abundant on deeper shelves (ca. 3 m depth, slope 1 km), and sediment organic matter content was moderate (Lampsilis siliquoidea(Barnes), however, was most abundant in shallow water (Potamilus alatus(Say) had a more cosmopolitan depth distribution, but was found only on bottoms with low slope (Pyganodon grandiswas found to be negatively affected by increasing substrate organic matter …

Population Size Estimates For The Endangered Iowa Pleistocene Snail, Discus Macclintocki Baker, Tama K. Anderson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Discus macclintocki Baker, the Iowa Pleistocene snail, is a federally endangered species found only on algific talus slopes in northeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Population size estimates for fourteen D. macclintocki populations in Iowa and Illinois ranged from 182 to 22,125 individuals. Estimates from the program CAPTURE as well as Bayesian estimation procedures gave similar results, although the Bayesian method allowed estimation of populations that could not be estimated with CAPTURE due to small sample sizes. A comparison of two methods of sampling, visual counts of quadrats and cover boards, showed that using cover boards resulted in much higher probabilities …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Morphological Abnormalities In Illinois Cricket Frogs, Acris Crepitans, 1968-71, Robert H. Gray

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Reports of malformed amphibians have been increasing, including external deformities such as missing or extra arms and legs, missing eyes and mandibles, and internal abnormalities involving the bladder, digestive system, and testes. Natural phenomena such as limb amputations during predation attempts by other animals, parasitism, xenobiotic chemicals (herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers and others), and UV-B or other radiation (either directly or indirectly by triggering production of toxicants from nontoxic chemicals) have all been linked to amphibian abnormalities. From 1968-71, I studied the natural history, effective breeding size, and seasonal, annual, and geographic variation in color morph frequencies of cricket frogs (Acris …

Field Investigations Of Malformed Frogs In Minnesota 1993-97, Judy C. Helgen, Mark C. Gernes, Susan M. Kersten, Joel W. Chirhart, Jeff T. Canfield, Dorothy Bowers, Jon Haferman, Robert G. Mckinnell, David M. Hoppe

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Reports of malformed frogs were made to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) from different parts of Minnesota in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997 and one, nine, 190, and 172 reports were received, respectively. MPCA field crews and Drs. Hoppe and McKinnell documented malformed frog locations starting in 1993. By 1997, MPCA field crews documented malformed frogs at 62 locations in Minnesota, in 29 of 87 counties. Most malformations were in young metamorphs of Rana pipiens but they were observed also in R. clamitans, R. septentrionalis, R. sylvatica, Bufo americanus, and Hyla spp. Frequencies of malformations varied by time of …

Effects Of Pcb 126 And Ammonia, Alone And In Combination, On Green Frog (Rana Clamitans) And Leopard Frog (R. Pipiens) Hatching Success, Development, And Metamorphosis, Mariana Beatriz Jofre, Michele L. Rosenshield, William H. Karasov

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The Green Bay watershed in Wisconsin is polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, heavy metals, ammonia, and over 100 organic contaminants. In this study we exposed embryos and larvae of two ranid species commonly occurring in the Green Bay ecosystem, the green frog (Rana clamitans) and the leopard frog (R. pipiens), to PCB 126 (3,3', 4,4', 5-Pentachlorobyphenil, nominal concentrations 0-50 μg/l, two control treatments: water plus 0.08% acetone as carrier for the PCB, water alone), unionized ammonia (0-2 mg/I), and mixtures of both contaminants. Exposure to PCB 126 did not cause significant mortality of embryos before hatching. However, exposure to …