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En Garde! Animal Structures and What They Mean

By Parks Collins

En Garde! Animal Structures and What They Mean


 

Abstract

In most animals, the drive to breed and produce offspring is strong. However, most males live their whole lives without having the chance to breed. The events leading up to mating can be very dangerous and also very costly to an individual. Some males have evolved elaborate structures, or weapons, as a result. The structures do help males in both combative situations and with attracting females, but ironically, the structures themselves come with certain costs. This flipped case study provides students with the opportunity to not only see how animal structures and functions are linked, but also to see how certain animal structures are needed and costly. There are videos that students are expected to view before the case. The case was initially designed for a second semester college general biology class for majors. However, it can also be used in non-major biology classes. Students should have some background knowledge of natural selection, specifically sexual selection as well as energetic demands of certain structures.

   

Date Posted

03/03/2016

Overview

Objectives

  • Understand how animal structure and function are correlated and natural selection's role.
  • Understand how physical laws and the environment limit, or constrain, animal structures.
  • Define bioenergetics.
  • Analyze data sets.
  • Explain how elaborate animal structures can be costly.
  • Understand why some animal weapons are the result of sexual selection and some may not be.

Keywords

Animal structure; function; evolution; bioenergetics; weapons; fiddler crabs; Uca pugilator; moose; elk; bighorn ram; narwhal; sexual selection; fitness;

  

Subject Headings

Anatomy
Biology (General)
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Science (General)
Zoology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

  

FORMAT

PDF

   

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Directed, Discussion, Flipped, Interrupted

 

 

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