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Listed under:  Science  >  Life  >  Ecosystems  >  Biodiversity
Interactive

Natural selection

This is an interactive resource in which students explore natural selection by controlling an environment and causing mutations in rabbits. Students can select vary environments, selection pressures, mutations and associated genetics, and then observe the populations change. This interactive resource is supported by tips ...

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Foreign Correspondent: The Mekong: A damming example

The government of Laos has plans for many revenue-raising dams along the Mekong River. Find out about a dam, the Nam Theun 2, which was completed in 2010 and lies across the Nam Theun river in the Nakai Plateau. This clip from the same year asks if the dam could be the flagship for others to be built along the Mekong. Discover ...

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Unlocking the key to why chillies are hot

Have you ever eaten hot chilli and wondered why your mouth feels like it's on fire? Watch this clip to find out all about the science of chillies, including what makes them hot, why they are hot and why they cause so much pain when we eat them.

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Foreign Correspondent: Damming the free and mighty Mekong

The Mekong has been a rare thing: a largely untouched and free-flowing river. Stretching for nearly 5,000 km from the mountains of Tibet to Vietnam's Mekong Delta, it has provided a way of life for millions of people and been an important trading route between south-western China and south-eastern Asia. In this clip from ...

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Understanding the causes of climate change

Did you know that climate change is not a recent phenomenon? In the past, natural events led to changes in the climate. Although natural events still affect climate, they're not enough to explain the big changes we've been seeing in the last 150 years. What changes on earth can account for such dramatic changes to our climate? ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Spawning dams, not fish, on the Mekong?

The Mekong is the largest freshwater fishery in the world; however, this may be about to change. Discover in this 2010 clip how migration of fish species along the lower Mekong may be impeded by the proposed construction of dams along this mighty river. Do the economic benefits of the dam outweigh the potential loss of ...

Interactive

Interactive maps

Interactive Maps is a discovery and exploration view of Geoscience Australia's geospatial services. Maps are organised under the following themes: Australian Marine Spatial Information System (AMSIS); Earth observation and satellite imagery, National location information; Geology and geophysics; Hazards; Marine and coastal; ...

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Bryozoans' role in the ecosystem

This is a colour video clip of marine scientist Associate Professor Abby Smith discussing the role bryozoans play in marine ecosystems. The clip shows Abby Smith, a teacher and researcher at the University of Otago, New Zealand, being interviewed. The clip also shows underwater photos of bryozoans, fish and corals.

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Talking Evolution

A page to explore the theory of evolution and the work of Charles Darwin that features video interviews with the scientist Michael Shermer.

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Pedigree Dogs

This 12 minute video segment from Catalyst demonstrates how scientific knowledge can improve the well-being of our domestic pets and change public opinion. This show exemplifies the benefits of the application of our understanding of genetics and evolution.

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Too cold for cane toads

A new study reported in this video segment has looked at how temperatures impact cane toad movement and has aided in the development of a model that indicates that their geographical spread is limited. An excellent example of the use of mathematical modelling in scientific research and how scientists have tried to address ...

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Party locusts

This 8 minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent example of animal behaviour of locusts as a successful adaptation and how understanding the behaviour can potentially help reduce the damage they cause.

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Kooaaa! It's a kookaburra

This ABC In Depth feature article describes how kookaburra chicks fight for survival in the family nest in springtime.

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Sexual selection

This 5 minute video segment from Catalyst describes how Charles Darwin has revolutionised the way we understand modern biology and evolution. A scientist in Queensland put one of his theories under the microscope by testing to see if more brightly coloured male butterflies have greater success in mating. He speculates that ...

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Dingo secrets

This 9 minute video segment from Catalyst shows a biologist is finding out about how a family of multi-coloured dingoes is challenging our very idea of these animals. Technology has been invaluable in learning how young dingoes are taught adult behaviour and survival behaviours of the pack.

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Rainforest fruit power

This ABC In Depth feature article discusses human potential use rainforest fruit-bearing plants and the need to maintain biodiversity. Many biotic interactions that effect reproduction and dispersal are described. Issues about using seed banks to try to maintain biodiversity are discussed.

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Ancient Resurrection

This 8 minute video segment from Catalyst highlights what is needed to resurrect ancient species, and raises the question whether we should. It also demonstrates the impacts of technology.

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Missing links

This lengthy and detailed video segment from Catalyst examines some of the key transitional fossils between species, the so called 'missing links'. Also included is an interesting story of a missing link that was discovered as a result of a hoax. This program includes extracts from Darwin's diaries in Australia.

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Malaria: affects animals as well as humans

This program is an excellent example of the latest research into one of the world's most deadly disease. Humans are infected by five out of the two hundred species of malaria parasite. But birds, bats, lizards and antelopes are also hosts for malaria parasites. Each species of malaria has a different life cycle and life ...

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Charles Darwin

A webpage with a focus on the work of Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution including its controversy.