BioScience articles from May 2007

BioScience archives from May 2007

Help for teaching biology.(Editorial)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... In this issue, AIBS introduces a new feature for BioScience: "Teaching Biology," a series of state-of-the-science, example-rich, well-referenced papers that emerged from symposia presented at recent annual meetings of the National Association...

The most inconvenient truth.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Jack Bennett (BioScience 57:101, doi: 10. 1641/B570219), commenting on Fred Powledge's article about the Millenium Assessment (MA; BioScience 56: 880-886), pointed out that "overpopulation is the problem." Powledge agreed in part (BioScience...

Are natural history museums telling the right story?(Viewpoint)
May 1, 2007... Natural history museums are among the most important public institutions for educating the layperson about natural history, ecology, evolution, and the environment. Throughout the United States and other industrialized nations, particularly in...

Out of Africa: a tale of gorillas, heart disease ... and a swamp plant.
May 1, 2007... Captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are susceptible to a heart condition known as fibrosing cardiomyopathy. Although the cause of the disease is unknown, the captive gorillas' diet may be a contributing factor. Aframomum...

Wildlife triggers change in congressional debate on climate.(Washington Watch)
May 1, 2007... The 110th Congress is taking a new approach to climate change. Rather than debating whether or not climate change is a "hoax," the Democratic-majority Congress is moving full steam ahead. With the creation of a select House committee on climate...

The paddlefish rostrum as an electrosensory organ: a novel adaptation for plankton feeding.
May 1, 2007... The ancient Mississippi River paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, has long been thought to use its oversized rostrum for excavation. Recent studies provide an entirely new interpretation for the function of the paddle, that of an electrical antenna...

Regenerative, semiclosed systems: a priority for twenty-first-century agriculture.
May 1, 2007... This overview draws attention to several reasons to encourage the design of new agronomic systems, shifting from conventional open or leaky systems to more closed, regenerative systems: Current systems cause overconsumption of environmental...

What's in Noah's Wallet? Land conservation spending in the United States.(Roundtable)
May 1, 2007... Previous estimates of the funding needed to secure a network of habitat conservation areas as defined by conservation planning efforts amount to approximately $5 billion to $8 billion per year over 40 years. We found that US federal and state...

Noah at the ballot box: status and challenges.(Roundtable)
May 1, 2007... Open-space ballot measures have been one of the most important trends in land conservation over the past decade, with voters authorizing $27.3 billion for open-space conservation between 1996 and 2004. This article validates the strength of the...

Species invasions from commerce in live aquatic organisms: problems and possible solutions.(Forum)
May 1, 2007... In the Laurentian Great Lakes region, commercial activities involving live fish bait, horticultural and water-garden plants, biological supplies, pets, and live food are the principal pathways for intentional introductions of live aquatic...

Amphibian population declines: evolutionary considerations.(Teaching Biology)
May 1, 2007... Numerous factors, such as global environmental changes, habitat destruction, introduced species, diseases, and chemical pollution, appear to be contributing to amphibian population declines. Moreover, the life history characteristics and...

Confuting Darwinism's enemies-and false friends too.(Darwinism and Its Discontents. )(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Darwinism and Its Discontents. Michael Ruse. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2006. 316 pp. $30.00 (ISBN 9780521829472 cloth). Referring to the aura of mystery surrounding the ancient Etruscans and their supposedly indecipherable...

To whom am I speaking?(Animal Communication Networks.)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Animal Communication Networks. Peter McGregor, ed. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2005. 657 pp., illus. $135.00 (ISBN 9780521823617 cloth). Sometimes, when we want to be careful about our communication or we are not sure who is...

Biological collections: the basis of evolutionary theory.(All Creatures: Naturalists, Collectors, and Biodiversity: 1850-1950.)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... All Creatures: Naturalists, Collectors, and Biodiversity, 1850-1950. Robert E. Kohler. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2006. 380 pp., illus. $35.00 (ISBN 9780691125398 cloth). Robert Kohler says he wrote All Creatures:...

Measurement, scale, and prediction: caveat emptor.(Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology.)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology. Jianguo Wu, K. Bruce Jones, Harbin Li, and Orie L. Loucks. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2006. 351 pp., illus. $119.00 (ISBN 9781402046629 cloth). To understand, manage, and assess the...

One step at a time.(Amniote Paleobiology: Perspectives on the Evolution of Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles.)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Amniote Paleobiology: Perspectives on the Evolution of Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles. Matthew T. Carrano, Timothy J. Gaudin, Richard W. Blob, and John R. Wible, eds. Chicago University Press, Chicago, 2006. 448 pp. $95.00 (ISBN 9780226094779...

New titles.
May 1, 2007... Aging of the Genome: The Dual Role of DNA in Life and Death. Jan Vijg. Oxford University Press, New York, 2007. 384 pp., illus. $65.00 (ISBN 9780198569237 paper). The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State: Identification, Natural...

AIBS marks its 60th anniversary at 2007 Annual Meeting with program on evolutionary biology and human health: additional sessions to include discussions of framing issues in scientific explanations, launch of online Encyclopedia of Life.(AIBS news)(American Institute of Biological Sciences)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... AIBS will mark its 60th anniversary at its 2007 annual meeting, to be held 14-15 May 2007 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. The theme of the meeting is "Evolutionary Biology and Human Health"; the program chair is 2007 AIBS...

AIBS Council to meet 15-16 May.(AIBS news)(American Institute of Biological Sciences)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... The 2007 meeting of the MBS Council of member societies and organizations will be held 15 May (2:00-5:30 p.m.) and 16 May (9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 1001 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. This meeting will take...

AIBS honors outstanding contributions to the biological sciences.(AIBS news)(American Institute of Biological Sciences)
May 1, 2007... Each year AIBS presents awards to eminent individuals or groups for outstanding contributions to the biological sciences. AIBS is pleased to announce the following award winners for 2007: * Distinguished Scientist Award: Simon A. Levin,...

AIBS, ESA provide FY 2008 budget analysis.(AIBS news)(American Institute of Biological Sciences)(Ecological Society of America)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Robert Gropp, AIBS policy director, and Nadine Lymn, public affairs director of the Ecological Society of America, teamed to provide an analysis of the fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget request for biological and ecological sciences programs in the...

NESCent conference to explore connections between medicine and evolution.(AIBS news)(National Evolutionary Synthesis Center)(American Institute of Biological Sciences)(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) will host a conference, "Evolution in Contemporary Human Populations: Medical, Genetic, and Behavioral Implications," 23-26 May, at the NESCent headquarters in Durham, North Carolina. ...

The scientific and educational uses of NEON.(AIBS news)(National Ecological Observatory Network)(American Institute od Biological Sciences)
May 1, 2007... The Ecological Society of America (ESA) hosted a Webcast on the educational and scientific uses of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) on 21 March 2007. Panelists at the event were ESA executive director Katherine McCarter,...

Recent articles online at www.actionbioscience.org.(AIBS news)(American Institute of Biological Sciences)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Original articles in English * "Genetic Testing to Predict Disease: Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications;' by Linda MacDonald Glenn, Alden March Bioethics Institute and College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Vermont ...

Recent AIBS public policy reports online at www.aibs.org.(AIBS news)
May 1, 2007... Public Policy Report for 2 April 2007 * House adopts budget * Major changes at Smithsonian, NMNH * Russian Academy asserts autonomy * Education releases data about postsecondary faculty * ESA, C-FARE, Tri-Societies brief...

Calendar of meetings.(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... May 14-15 American Institute of Biological Sciences, Washington, DC; www.aibs.org/annual-meeting/annual_meeting_2007.html 14-15 Natural Science Collections Alliance, Washington, DC; ...

Bee siege.(BioBriefs)
May 1, 2007... Last November, Penn State insect physiologist and pathologist Diana Cox-Foster received a call from a large commercial migratory beekeeper, who noticed something strange going on with his hives. The bees were disappearing without a trace,...