Sample Resources
The following are examples of the high-quality, exciting resources that are a part of Seminars on Science. Most of them, from essays to videos, have been written and produced specifically for this course. All students receive a copy of their course resources on CD-ROM for use not only during the course itself, but also as a classroom resource.
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Sample Essay - Week 1: Introduction to the Diversity of Fishes
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Dr. Stiassny shares her passion for fishes in this introductory essay to the course. From the tiniest goby fish (full grown at 8 millimeters) to the giant 12-meter whale shark, from coral reefs to lakebeds to the icy waters hidden beneath the polar caps, fish have evolved into one of the most diverse groups of life on Earth. Ichthyologists study the 25,000 fish species found worldwide. That amounts to roughly half of the vertebrate species living today.
Read the essay... |
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Sample Video - Week 2: Planet Water (1:51)
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What are the implications of being a water-based organism? In this video, Dr. Stiassny explains how the distribution of water on Earth allowed fishes to become one of the only organisms that have adapted to live from the heights of a freshwater mountain stream to the depths of the ocean floor.
Watch the video... |
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Sample Interactive - Week 2: Fish Skull Animation: Jaw Protrusion
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From an evolutionary standpoint, fishes were the first animals to develop bony jaws. In fact, a fish's head has over 30 moveable bony parts controlled by over 50 muscles. In this interactive, you can examine two skulls side by side—one where the fish is at rest, and one where the jaw is expanded to draw in food and water.
Explore the interactive... |
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