Examines factors involved in students' acceptance of evolutionary theory. A causal-comparative or ex post facto design was employed for the quantitative aspect. Concludes that there is a need to strive to provide learning opportunities that encourage high school students to find their own "place to stand" between what many perceive to be an…

Explains methodological naturalism in science education and describes problems related to it when the real nature of science is considered. (YDS)

Examines how college-educated adults (n=135) from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds perceive the impact of evolutionary theory on individuals and society. Identifies a continuum of perspectives ranging from strong creationist to strong evolutionist. Reports differences between evolutionists and creationists in their prior exposure to…

Investigates the patterns of students' conceptual restructuring within the theoretical framework of biologic evolution. Results indicate that many conceptions in this content are closely interwoven, so that a change in one conception requires a change in many others. Reports four patterns of conceptual change: cascade, wholesale, incremental, and…

An environmental magazine answers 10 questions about wildlife that readers often write and ask. Questions address the behavior of animals and evolutionary reasons for biological adaptations suggested by research. (LZ)

Researchers who study the fossil record are seeking to determine whether the impact made by a comet or meteor really did decimate up to half of the life on this planet at the end of the Cretaceous period. Questions whether the extinction of plant and animal life was abrupt, started before the impact, or was a gradual change. (KR)

Discusses John McCrone's book "The Ape That Spoke: Language and the Evolution of the Human Mind," highlighting the origins of language and the evolution of habits of thought. (SR)

This article proposes that transcendence, the mystical nature of creativity, is not only sequential but a subset of the evolutionary process. Deliberate application of the principles of Darwin's theory is seen as speeding and improving the creative process for both individuals and groups. The importance to creative thinking of randomness processed…

Presents insights on the controversial issues regarding evolution. This article partitions into the following sections: (1) Mechanisms explaining how evolution happened; (2) Creationist Confusion; (3) Literal Interpretation of the Bible; (4) Public demand for Creationism; (5) No Basis for Debating; and (6) Scientific Creationism is Bible Study.…

A novel theory about Earth's ancient history is presented. It is proposed that North America and Antarctica once lay side by side for perhaps as long as a billion years. The importance of these continental connections to geology and other disciplines is discussed. (KR)

Discusses how existential philosophy and evolutionary biology enjoy substantial and hitherto unappreciated similarities, in particular in understanding life's fundamental absurdity, a relentless and productive focus on the individual, and an optimistic presumption of freedom. (SAH)

Illustrates how antigen-antibody interactions can be applied to the study of evolution. Includes background information, materials, methods, procedures, and results. (SAH)

Surveyed secondary biology textbooks to ascertain how the topic of evolution functioned in the overall structure of the subject matter. Results indicated that there has occurred a marked increase in the role played by evolution in the generation of textbooks published during the 1990s. (Author/MKR)

Explores the conceptions of evolutionary processes held by a group of university students (n=126) before receiving instruction on evolution. Focuses on students' linguistic usage in order to speculate about the source of some of the conceptual problems students encounter in this area. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

Explores the relationship of state standards for the teaching of evolution to the actual teaching of that subject. Compares a grading of states for their performance and discusses the question of whether state standards matter. (MM)