Animal Biology

Inviting viewers into a rarely seen underground world, this program illustrates recent developments in the study of Africa's naked mole rat and its system of subterranean colonization. With an overview of the species' eusocial behavior-which includes allegiance to a queen, drawing comparisons to many insect communities-the video describes an innovative approach to capturing the naked mole rat that enables close study, a vast improvement over previous methods which often proved fatal to colony inhabitants. The program also depicts the animal's exceptional digging abilities. (13 minutes)

From the sponge to the giraffe, from mosses to redwoods, this program examines the similarities and differences between the denizens of the animal and plant kingdoms. Distinctive characteristics of plants and animals, including physical structure, methods of reproduction, and life cycle, as well as where they find their food and how they interact with other organisms are discussed. Vivid images underscore the diversity of the phyla, classes, and species within these two kingdoms. A Cambridge Educational Production. (28 minutes)

Ai is a thoroughly modern chimpanzee: researchers have taught her to be familiar with language and numbers, to work with tools, and even how to use a computer to earn coins to buy treats from a vending machine. In this program, scientists at the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, study Ai's son, Ayumu, to see if he will prove capable of picking up the same skills by simply watching his mother and other chimps-and perhaps even surpass them. The astonishing results of Ayumu's efforts provide new insights into animal-and human-intelligence. (54 minutes)

In this program, Paul Hoffman, editor of Discover magazine, explores the controversial issue of language use by apes with primatologist Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and Dr. Laura Ann Petitto. The results of Savage-Rumbaugh's 20-year study with chimpanzees reveal that they can use language with the astounding accuracy of a two-year-old human, which includes a rudimentary syntactical ability. However, Petitto's research indicates that humans have a cognitive predisposition for language lacking in chimps, which leads to the conclusion that although apes communicate by associating symbols with objects and actions, they do not have language abilities in the way that humans do. If the scientific community should eventually accept language use by apes, will the last scientific distinction between humans and animals be lost? (14 minutes)

In order for an animal to survive, it must be able to respond instantly to changes in its external and internal environments. This program compares and contrasts animal nervous and endocrine systems, explains stimulus feedback mechanisms, and places coordination and control in a cellular context with explanations of what happens in signal transduction pathways. Narration is supported by animations and footage of animals in action. A powerful tool for enhancing student understanding of complex biological processes. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. Original title: Coordination and Control One: Animals. (23 minutes)

This program launches an investigation into the identity of the bonobo, formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee. To what extent is this remarkable African ape closer to humans than all the other animals on the planet? Scientists from around the world, including Yves Coppens, paleoanthropologist at the College de France, and Paula Cavalieri, philosopher and founder of the Great Ape Project, discuss their findings on the genetics, biology, intelligence, sexual behavior, and matriarchal social organization of the bonobo. (51 minutes)

This program presents fossil evidence for the evolution of reptiles and amphibians; explains the reasoning processes scientists must use when no direct evidence is available for examination; illustrates field techniques for collecting fragile fossils for transportation to the laboratory, where examination can take place under controlled conditions; and traces the evolution of some modern mammals back through time. After viewing the program, students should know which major features distinguish amphibians from reptiles, when and for how long reptiles were the dominant land animals and by whom they were replaced, and recognize the feature in the fossil remains of land reptiles that may indicate that they gave rise to mammals. (20 minutes)

Welcome to Kingdom Animalia! Clue your students in on the characteristics of multicellular animals with this video. It illustrates the specialized structure and function of the four basic animal tissue types, describes 12 major bodily systems, and analyzes the process of homeostasis for both endotherms (regulators) and ectotherms (conformers). A concise history of zoology and species classification is also included, and the distinction between vertebrates and invertebrates is explained. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Academy of Sciences National Science Education Standards and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Benchmarks for Science Literacy. A Cambridge Educational Production. (20 minutes)

This program seeks to understand how relationships between living things have promoted the diversity and splendor of life as it exists on Earth today. Predation, competition, and symbiosis are addressed through topics such as the anatomical arms race between predators and prey, the evolutionary benefits of sexual reproduction, and the impact of viruses on creatures ranging from rabbits to human beings. Original BBCW broadcast title: Living Together. (50 minutes)

Now that we know that genes from different species are interchangeable, biotechnology is beginning to engineer superanimals-and patenting them. Behold the geep, part goat, part sheep, engineered to take advantage of the best traits of each. What are the scientific goals? And the social controls? This program looks at how some women are selecting the genetic profiles of the children they choose to bear, and at the ethical and economic dilemmas intrinsic in the question of who owns a person's DNA. (28 minutes)

This collection of NewsHour segments examines developments in zoology and agriculture that are challenging scientists, business leaders, and government officials alike. With commentary from Lori Williams of the National Invasive Species Council, the program studies a disturbing increase in nonnative and often harmful insect populations on American soil. North Carolina's sprawling hog farms and their growing waste-disposal problem are also investigated, with input from farmers, their neighbors, and EPA officials. Finally, the program offers insights into the 17-year cicada life cycle-featuring an interview with renowned entomologist and University of Maryland professor Mike Raupp. Original broadcast dates: 5/26/04, 6/3/04, and 7/1/04. (30 minutes)