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2009

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Full-Text Articles in Biology

My 20-Year Research Journey For A New Species Of Spiders, Or How To Come To A New Discovery, Vladimir Ovtcharenko Apr 2009

My 20-Year Research Journey For A New Species Of Spiders, Or How To Come To A New Discovery, Vladimir Ovtcharenko

Touchstone

From time to time students ask me whether it is difficult to discover new species of organisms on our planet. To answer this question, I have decided to tell my story of how I discovered a new species of spider that I have dedicated to Eugenio María de Hostos.

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Assessment Of Biology Majors’ Versus Nonmajors’ Views On Evolution, Creationism, And Intelligent Design, Guillermo Paz-Y-Mino C., Avelina Espinosa Jan 2009

Assessment Of Biology Majors’ Versus Nonmajors’ Views On Evolution, Creationism, And Intelligent Design, Guillermo Paz-Y-Mino C., Avelina Espinosa

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The controversy around evolution, creationism, and intelligent design resides in a historical struggle between scientific knowledge and popular belief. Four hundred seventy-six students (biology majors n=237, nonmajors n=239) at a secular liberal arts private university in Northeastern United States responded to a five-question survey to assess their views about: (1) evolution, creationism, and intelligent design in the science class; (2) students’ attitudes toward evolution; (3) students’ position about the teaching of human evolution; (4) evolution in science exams; and (5) students’ willingness to discuss evolution openly. There were 60.6% of biology majors and 42% of nonmajors supported the exclusive teaching …

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Acceptance Of Evolution Increases With Student Academic Level: A Comparison Between A Secular And A Religious College, Guillermo Paz-Y-Mino C., Avelina Espinosa Jan 2009

Acceptance Of Evolution Increases With Student Academic Level: A Comparison Between A Secular And A Religious College, Guillermo Paz-Y-Mino C., Avelina Espinosa

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Acceptance of evolution among the general public, high schools, teachers, and scientists has been documented in the USA; little is known about college students’ views on evolution; this population is relevant since it transits from a high-school/parent-protective environment to an independent role in societal decisions. Here we compare perspectives about evolution, creationism, and intelligent design (ID) between a secular (S) and a religious (R) college in the Northeastern USA. Interinstitutional comparisons showed that 64% (mean S + R) biology majors vs. 42/62% (S/R) nonmajors supported the exclusive teaching of evolution in science classes; 24/29% (S/R) biology majors vs. 26/38% (S/R) …

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Dispersion Of Large-Seeded Tree Species By Two Forest Primates: Primate Seed Handling, Microhabitat Variability, And Post-Dispersal Seed Fate, Nicole D. Gross-Camp Jan 2009

Dispersion Of Large-Seeded Tree Species By Two Forest Primates: Primate Seed Handling, Microhabitat Variability, And Post-Dispersal Seed Fate, Nicole D. Gross-Camp

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

I describe the relative effectiveness of two primates in dispersing large-seeded tree seeds (> 0.5 cm) in the Nyungwe National Park (NNP), Rwanda. My objectives are three-fold: (1) to describe the relative effectiveness of primates in dispersing the seeds of five large-seeded tree species, (2) to evaluate the influence of primate seed-handling method on seed fate, and (3) to determine the influence of deposition site on seed fate. I employed focal tree observations, day-follows of habituated primate groups, in situ monitoring of primate-dispersed seeds, and experimental plots to achieve these objectives. Data were collected over the course of one year …

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