The theory of evolution is the backbone of the biological sciences. Arguably, this is the reason why evolution education is an extensively investigated issue in several countries around the world. Little is known, however, about the views of university students in Colombia. Here, we report on 7 years of data generated by a three-question anonymous…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mathematical needs of biological sciences undergraduate students. Student needs were measured through a needs assessment methodology scheme that included a content analysis of peer-reviewed journals, a nationwide cross-sectional survey, and semi-structured interviews. The research question that…

Students often have misconceptions about natural selection as they misuse a direct causal schema to explain the process. Natural selection is in fact an emergent process where random interactions lead to changes in a population. The misconceptions stem from students' lack of emergent schema for natural selection. In order to help students…

A complete understanding of life involves how organisms are able to function in their environment and how they arise. Understanding how organisms arise involves both their evolution and development. Thus to completely comprehend living things, biology must study their function, development and evolution. Previous proposals for standardized…

Recent research suggests that a major obstacle to evolution understanding is an essentialist view of the biological world. The present study investigated the effects of formal biology instruction on such misconceptions. Participants (N = 291) completed an assessment of their understanding of six aspects of evolution (variation, inheritance,…

Undergraduates commonly harbor alternate conceptions about evolutionary biology; these alternate conceptions often persist, even after intensive instruction, and may influence acceptance of evolution. We interviewed undergraduates to explore their alternate conceptions about macroevolutionary patterns and designed a 2-h lesson plan to present…

Summarizes recent findings that help in understanding how evolution has brought about the diversity of plant life that presently exists. Discusses basic concepts of evolution, diversity and classification, the three-line hypothesis of plant evolution, the origin of fungi, and the geologic time table. Included are 31 references. (CW)

The concept of paraphyly is defined and its importance in the teaching of evolution and taxonomy is discussed. Examples are included to illustrate this concept. A list of 14 references is provided. (CW)

Presents insights into the endosymbiotic theory based on a re-examination of evidence from investigations into the archaebacteria and other strange organisms inhabiting the hindguts of wood-eating insects. Examines the mechanism of evolutionary change and the speed with which it occurs. (RT)

Describes current experiments that help to explain chemical processes which probably existed prior to the first living cells. Some experiments suggest that a significant portion of a major metabolic pathway, the Krebs cycle, may have developed in the earth's primitive atmosphere to be later incorporated into living organisms. (JR)

Outlines the proteinoid theory of the origin of life and examines competing or alternative concepts in the light of a sequential experimental model. (JR)

DEVELOPED AND SUBJECTIVELY EVALUATED ARE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN AN INTRODUCTORY COLLEGE LEVEL GENERAL EDUCATION BIOLOGY COURSE, WHICH EMPHASIZES THE DYNAMIC AND INVESTIGATIVE ASPECTS OF SCIENCE. THE MATERIALS, WHICH USE A CASE HISTORY APPROACH, WERE DEVELOPED BY EDITING EXCERPTS FROM CLASSICAL SCIENTIFIC PAPERS WITH ADEQUATE EDITORIAL…

Cites the public image problem of field biologists and systematists. Discusses systematics and natural history including species variation, ecology, management of organisms and appreciation of nature. Describes widespread fallacies which downplay the importance of field biology and suggests ways to improve its image. (CW)

Discusses a theoretical model that uses a game as a base for studying processes of a stochastic nature, which involve chemical reactions, molecular systems, biological processes, cells, or people in a population. (MLH)

Discusses some principles of biological taxonomy. The evolutionary principle in taxonomy and its limitations, and the difference in evolutionary patterns between plants and animals, are also discussed. (HM)