Melba Mustang Science

Parasites

2008-04-29T09:51:00.004-06:00

Read the following 2000 article at Discovery Magazine. Write out three questions you have concerning the life cycle of Sacculina carcini, flukes, and Dr. Lafferty's experiments. (Be sure to read all the pages from the article, not just the first page.)

Do Parasites Rule the World? by Carl Zimmer

Some helpful links:
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve
barnacles
Sacculina
tremotoda (flukes)

Bacterial Diversity

2008-03-13T08:02:00.004-06:00

Read the follow links and prepare to discuss them in class. (I.E. bring questions and comments about what you found.)

From Aetiology: The Basics: you and your normal flora, Part I

The Basics: you and your normal flora, Part II

Fecal transplants to cure Clostridium difficile infection

Adaptation and Biological Species Concept

2008-03-05T08:50:00.004-07:00

Read the following articles. Then on a separate sheet of paper, write out three unique questions raised by the readings.

Immune snakes outrun toxic newts in evolutionary arms races

How many species? (part 1)

How many species? (part 2)

How many species? (part 3)

Species

2008-02-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

1 – Follow this link to The Loom and read through the article titled: Question of the Day: How Do You Get Crabs From a Gorilla?

2 – On a sheet of paper with your name, write down 3 questions that come to mind after reading the article. These questions will be considered a class work assignment and will be entered as a grade.

3 - Follow this link to the Evolution 101: Defining a Species

a – also read the page on Biological Species Concept

b – finish with the page on Other Species Concepts

4 – On the same sheet of paper from step 2 above, list all of the various species concepts. Then search the web to find examples of each concept. Your examples must be different from the ones presented on the Evolution 101 web site. Include both common and scientific names of the organisms.

5 – Hand in your paper.

Mass Extinctions and Super Volcanoes

2008-01-25T08:19:00.001-07:00

Please read through the material at the following links. Be prepared with questions to discuss with the class.

At the Understanding Evolution web page, maintained by the University of California Museum of Paleontology, read through the material on the work of David Jablonski.

At wikipedia read the entries on the Lake Toba eruption, and the associated theory with it.

Finally, finish up by reading the entry on the Yellowstone caldera and its associated hot spot. Pay particular attention to the map indicating the movement of the hot spot as the North American plate has shifted west.