Assignment
Respond to one of the following three topics with a "primary post" of at least 125 words. Also, please reply to a fellow student on any topic..
(1) Pacific Lampreys. Watch the video on Pacific Lampreys (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2012). Please address the following three questions: (a) where do Pacific lampreys fall in the taxonomy of vertebrates? (b) what challenges do Pacific lamprey populations face? (c) why are Native American tribes of the Northwest concerned about them? (Please note: take care not to confuse the Pacific lamprey (described in the video) with the Sea Lamprey, which is a completely different species that is considered an invasive species in the Great Lakes).
(2) Population Distribution of Termites in a Savanna. Watch the video describing Corina Tarnita's research on the spacing of termite mounds in savanna ecosystems (HHMI Biointeractive, 2015). The address the following questions: (a) What were Tarnita's findings about the spacing of termite mounds? (b) What does Tarnita think is the main factor that governs the spatial distribution of the termite mounds? (c) How do the termite mounds benefit other organisms on the savanna?
(3) Supporting the Energy Needs of a Large Brain. Read the article by Zimmer (2011). Brain tissue is energetically expensive. For a species to evolve a large brain, it may need to make certain adjustments to ensure that enough energy is available to support brain function. Zimmer (2011) discusses some different adjustments in the human line of descent that may have enabled us to evolve larger brain. Explain one of these adjustments.
References
Zimmer, C. (2011, July/August). The brain. Discover, 32 (6), 18-19. Retrieved from EBSCOhost via Strayer University LRC. [Note: this article is located behind a paywall on the web, but you can access it for free from the Strayer University Library via EBSCOhost].
HHMI Biointeractive (2015, November 11) Analyzing patterns in the savanna landscape. [Youtube Video].
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (2012). Taking the initiative to conserve Pacific Lamprey. [Youtube Video].