From the Paper "Studies demonstrate that female birds engage in copulations with males other than their mate and these extra-pair copulations (EPCs) may result in extra-pair fertilizations. The frequency of extra-pair paternity varies among populations or years within the same species. The question remains, regarding why females mate with more than one male (Dunn, Robertson, Michaud-Freeman, & Boag, 1994). To answer this question, researchers attempt to determine factors related to EPCs and propose theories regarding EPCs. Naturalistic, observational, and experimental studies confirm hypotheses regarding prevalence, adaptive functioning, sexual selection, and fledgling adoption..."
From the Paper "INTRODUCTION
Cancer is the leading cause of death in the united Stats today, and the leading type of cancer is breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer, and this year alone, more than 15,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease, while some 40,000 will die of it. Recent surveys indicate that while many types of cancer are on the wane, breast cancer is on the rise. Scientists are trying to understand the etiology of the disease and to isolate any element which may cause it. Most recently, scientists have isolated a gene on chromosome 17, a gene called BRCA 1. Scientists think this gene may be the cause of breast cancer, and they hope that further research will prove whether or not this is so.
Among the factors known to affect cancer rates are heredity.."
From the Paper "In the continuing debate over the origins of modern humans, he role of Neanderthal, at first almost disregarded, has been reinstated as a major piece of the overall puzzle. As it became clear that Neanderthals were not simply an early stage in the evolution of modern humans and that previous approaches to this group were colored by certain biases, the entire matter has been opened up again. A review of the basic theories of the evolution of modern humans will demonstrate how such theories have attempted to deal with the controversial presence of Neanderthals on the stage formerly believed to be devoted solely to Homo sapiens. This leads, in turn, to discussion of the related theories of what became of Neanderthals and how current research supports the various positions.
In the 1970s, the discovery of early hominid remains in.."
This paper will focus on the American crocodile. The discussion will show that the American crocodile needs to be protected. Moreover, the paper will point out some of the reasons why the American crocodile needs protecting.
The American crocodile is a unique species which differs from its foreign relatives, the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), the Australian crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni), the South American Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), and the Indo-Pacific crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). Unfortunately, crocodiles outside of the United States are responsible for nearly 3,000 human mutilations yearly (Alderton 22). Theses deaths, coupled with the prominent position that crocodiles maintain in the.."
Discusses the function, processes and components of the human brain. Presents measurement and examines developmental aspects of this organ. Looks at research in the fields of cognition, emotion, aging and mental disorders.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 10 sources, 1997, $ 95.95
From the Paper " THE HUMAN BRAIN
Introduction
Studies of the human brain include techniques that measure activity recorded during cognitive and affective processing. Results demonstrate systematic changes in the brain correlated with developments in behavior. Research shows changes in the brain due to age, and differences in the brain related to psychiatric and brain disorders.
Function & Process
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a technique for studying the development in infants and children; EEG analysis allows precision in the localization of neural generators. EEG measures include: regional activity recorded during cognitive and affective processing; measures of coherence and phase derived..."
From the Paper "This research discusses the book, When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy, which presents anecdotal evidence for the existence of feelings in animals. This research also draws on several other sources to supplement the discussion.
Human emotions are often hard to describe. If people are unable to describe how they are feeling, are the people unable to feel emotion? Or perhaps they are of limited verbal ability and have difficulty expressing any thought. The argument that an emotion does not exist until a person is able to describe and verbalize the feeling is frequently used to discount and discredit the belief that animals have emotional lives. Animals can and do experience emotions. They express them through their actions and behaviors instead of words."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of inbreeding on populations. The plan of the research will be to set forth a working definition of inbreeding as the context for discussion, then to discuss studies that appear to demonstrate consequences to a given biological population's physical and psychological viability and integrity.
The benefits of environmental biodiversity--or more exactly the environmental risks of diminished biodiversity-- have been a staple of ecological studies for many years. The World Resources Institute advocates an active human role in encouraging and maintaining viable populations of wild-animal species, both in situ, or in the wild natural habitat of the animals, and ex situ, by way of captive-population management and maintenance (WRI, 1997). Inbreeding is relevant to this scheme of concerns because it.."
Analyzes nature of violence, differences between humans & non-humans, biological, psychological & social causes, evolution, territoriality, survival and theories.
4,950 words (approx. 19.8 pages), 13 sources, 1999, $ 135.95
From the Paper "Abstract
This paper is an investigation of the topic of aggression in both humans and non-human primates with an attempt to understand the causes of such aggression and what links exist between the aggressive behaviors of different primate species.
The literature on primate aggression is reviewed and a number of bases for aggressive behavior are put forth, including psychoanalytic, biological, evolutionary and learned. The validity of each of these explanatory paradigms is examined and the evolutionary and social learning perspectives are established as being the most useful bases on which to create theoretical models of primate aggressive behavior.
A substantial amount of attention is paid to possible evolutionary causes of aggression and evolutionarily based links between the aggressive tendencies..:
From the Paper " Richard Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene, originally published in 1976, caused quite a stir in the scientific world and rapidly became an international best seller in 13 languages. Taking Darwin's premise of survival of the fittest one step further, Dawkins proposes that our genes made us, and that animals and other life forms exist for their preservation and are nothing more than their throwaway survival machines (1). This paper will look at Dawkins' hypothesis and reactions to his work.
According to Dawkins (1), the world of the selfish gene is one of savage competition, ruthless exploitation, and deceit. The argument of the book is presented in the first chapter and is that the answers to questions about the meaning of life, what is man, and why is he here can all be simply answered by the fact that man and all other animals are machines created by our genes."
Abstract This research assesses within an ethical context the practice of animal experimentation conducted as a part of medical and other biological research. The positions of ethicists Daniel Callahan, Charles Curran, and William May, and others are conside
From the Paper "This research assesses within an ethical context the practice of animal experimentation conducted as a part of medical and other biological research. The positions of ethicists Daniel Callahan, Charles Curran, and William May, and others are considered.
The Issue and Its Dimensions
The issue of the ethics surrounding the use of animals in medical and other biological experimentation for purposes of research is linked inextricably to the animal rights movement, which provides the strongest and most vocal opposition to the practice. As is true of so many social phenomena in the United States, the animal rights movement appeared to most Americans to develop..."
From the Paper "Introduction
Over the years, attempts have been made to define the contribution of excessive alcohol consumption to changes in body composition and body fat content. There is no doubt that excessive alcohol consumption leads to destruction of the liver, and thus associated body composition changes, and that many alcoholics appear undernourished, as they drink rather than eat, but the actual contributions of alcohol intake to body composition and body fat have been poorly studied. In the next section, some of the studies on the affect of alcohol on body fat and body composition will be examined. A proposed study to define the effects of excessive alcohol consumption on changes in body fat and body composition will be outlined. Knowing how alcohol affects body composition may give clinicians a clue as to..."
From the Paper "This paper will look at one of the communication systems of dogs - sound. It will look at how dogs communicate in the wild, and how they communicate with man in captivity. It will deal with spoken language as a means of communication animal-to-animal and animal-to-man.
In human language, the actual sounds that make up the words we hear have no intrinsic relation to the meaning of the words themselves. However, in animal vocalizations, this is not so. It is almost a universal law of animal communication that low sounds (growls) indicate aggression and high sounds (whines) indicate fear or appeasement (Budiansky, 1995). Big things generally make low sounds and small things make high sounds. Whines and growls therefore take advantage of both the laws of acoustics and eons of evolved experience: it pays to recognize..."
Abstract This paper explains that the fossil records tell us that, through out the geological history of earth, mass extinctions have been the norm rather than the exception. This paper states that a better understanding of the role extinction plays in evolution is essential. The author concludes that human beings are uniquely adaptable; they invent procedures as medicine that give them extended control over their environments.
From the Paper "Of course, the most famous extinction event is that of the dinosaurs, about 65 million years ago. Such events appear in the fossil record as far back as Precambrian time when it is believed that life first began. Ideas of mass extinction has been an issue of controversy between many geologists towards the idea that it is related to intermittent catastrophes such as the striking of the earth's surface by a large asteroid or comet. Many paleontologists and evolutionary theorists reject such ideas and believe them to be unjustified."
Abstract The papers gives a brief history of the illness and presents its symptoms. It then presents a variety factors that are responsible for causing the illness such as an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, structural brain abnormalities, or abnormalities in the prenatal environment. The paper then explains that schizophrenia is also a biological disease caused by genetic factors. The paper explores the different theories behind this assertion. It then discusses the reasons behind the high prevalence of schizophrenia among blacks in Britain concluding that the cause may be social rather than genetic.
From the Paper "Research has shown that inheritance of genes is the number one factor in determining one's risk of developing schizophrenia (Mueser, para on ?Genetic factors.?) Studies of family histories show that the more closely one is related to someone with schizophrenia, the greater the risk one has of developing the illness. For example, the children of one parent with schizophrenia have about a 13 percent chance of developing the illness, and children of both parents with schizophrenia have about a 46 percent chance of developing the illness. (Ibid.)"
Abstract This paper describes various types of ecosystems. The paper defines an ecosystem as all of the organisms and their physical environment that exist within a certain, specific area, including all plants, animals, water, dirt, rocks, and the surrounding air. The paper includes a discussion of a complex mature forest ecosystem.
From the Paper "The word "ecosystem" is used frequently in the popular media, and yet most people do not have a clear, working definition of an ecosystem. An ecosystem simply refers to all of the organisms and their physical environment that exist within a certain, specific area. This includes all plants, animals, and their environment, which can include water, dirt, rocks, and the air that surrounds them. For example, all of the organisms that live in a New England tide pool, plus their physical environment would make up an ecosystem. In addition, a deciduous forest and a salt pond marsh are also ecosystems."
