Bats, caves, danger and exotic locales. That should catch your students’ attention! The big story here is the co-evolution of viruses and their nonhuman animal hosts, who seem to have a harmless, symbiotic relationship with viruses that cause deadly outbreaks in humans. Though this story is about Marburg virus and a fruit bat, the concepts […]
Archive for the 'Birds' Category
Teaching Whooping Cranes to Migrate: Will It Save Them From Extinction?
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 7:59 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
Success stories in animal preservation are not very common. Since 1973 when the Endangered Species Act was passed, only 16 species of over 1,350 have been delisted. The whooping crane is not one of them, although its numbers have increased from 21 in 1941 to over 350 today. On February 22, 2009, the NYTimes.com published […]
Posted in Topics: Birds, Climate, Conservation, Ecology, Life Science, Science
Your Thanksgiving Turkey Can Be a Nuisance But Trees Compensate Well
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 8:04 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
Well, it’s almost that time again. You can almost see it, smell it, taste it—that perfectly cooked, magnificent bird! How on earth could it ever be a nuisance, and what do trees have to do with anything? After all, their time will come—next month.
Back up. Where did that bird come from? More than likely it […]
Posted in Topics: Agriculture, Birds, Ecology, Environment, Health, Life Science, Science
How Does Bird Diversity Affect the Incidence of West Nile Virus in Humans?
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 9:16 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Now here’s a relationship not many middle school students would stop to consider: bird species diversity and West Nile virus incidence. A press release dated October 6, 2008, indicates researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have collected evidence that shows an inverse relationship between bird species diversity and West Nile virus. Thus, urban […]
Posted in Topics: Biodiversity, Birds, Ecology, Insects
Posted in Topics: Birds, Ecology, Evolution, Health, Life Science, Microbiology, Science
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