Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in our understanding of the social behaviour of microbes. Here, we take advantage of these developments to present an undergraduate laboratory exercise that uses the cooperative flocculating behaviour of yeast ("Saccharomyces sp.") to introduce the concept of inclusive fitness and teach the…

An inversion polymorphism of the filamin and emerin genes at the tip of the long arm of the human X-chromosome serves as the basis of an investigative laboratory in which students learn something new about their own genomes. Long, nearly identical inverted repeats flanking the filamin and emerin genes illustrate how repetitive elements can lead to…

We present a guided-inquiry biology lesson, using the plant-rhizobium symbiosis as a model system. This system provides a rich environment for developing connections between the big ideas in biology as outlined in the College Board's new AP Biology Curriculum. Students gain experience with the practice of scientific investigation, from…

The predator-prey relationship is one of the most recognizable and well-studied animal relationships. One of the more striking aspects of this relationship is the differential natural selection pressure placed on predators and their prey. This differential pressure results from differing costs of failure, the so-called life-dinner principle. If a…

Although the theory of evolution is the foundation of modern biology, students too rarely have an opportunity to watch selection operate in natural populations of animals. This lack may be partially responsible for the unfortunate ignorance of many people regarding the significance of evolution in biology. Laboratory exercises that directly study…

This hypothesis-driven laboratory exercise teaches how DNA evidence can be used to investigate an organism's evolutionary history while providing practical modeling of the fundamental processes of gene transcription and translation. We used an inquiry-based approach to construct a laboratory around a nontrivial, open-ended evolutionary question…

Describes a science activity, using a bacterium and a fungus, to illustrate the effects of competition and barriers on geographical distribution. (Author/PEB)

Described is thin-layer chromatography (TLC), a technique that can be conveniently used in the laboratory to generate evidence supporting the principle that degrees of biochemical similarity reflect degrees of evolutionary relatedness among organisms. (Author/PEB)

Laboratory components of introductory biology college-level courses are becoming increasingly rare. Due to the absence of laboratory funding and time, instructors at all levels are faced with the problem of implementing inquiry-based projects. In this article, the authors present an activity that they developed for the 50-minute discussion period…

Describes a model that illustrates the operation of principles of adaptive radiation. The model used is constructed of materials that can be easily obtained. Suggestions for use are provided. (PS)

Presents experiments using wild birds as predators and pastry as prey and colored stones as background to demonstrate natural selection. Describes the exercise as an exercise in simulating natural selection. (Author/CW)

Presents an activity to help students understand the precepts of the Hardy-Weinberg principle and simultaneously permit observation of a model of evolution through natural selection in a nonthreatening setting. (PR)

Outlines an adaptive framework for the study of plants and their pollinators in which both partners in the ecological relationship are seen as maximizing fitness through efficient use of the other as a resource. Suggests experimental projects to examine the validity of these assumptions giving an evolutionary emphasis. (Author/CW)

Designed to address the major conceptual problems associated with evolution and variation and survival in populations, this module can be used with high school students or college nonscience majors including those in elementary education. It is one in a series developed by the project "Overcoming Critical Barriers to Learning in Nonmajors'…