Avian Haematozoa: Some Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Problems Arising from the Russian Literature*

SYNOPSIS. It is evident from a survey of the Russian literature that many species of avian haematozoa recorded do not meet the basic criteria required by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Thus 28 species of Haemoproteus and 4 species of Leucocytozoon are considered to be nomina nuda, while 1 species, Leucocytozoon turtur orientalis is a synonym of L. marchouxi.     

Integrating information literacy training into an inquiry-based introductory biology laboratory

ABSTRACT

Information literacy is an essential skill for biologists; however, most biology curricula do not intentionally integrate information literacy into classroom and laboratory exercises. There is evidence that developing information literacy skills in undergraduates improves their research skills, writing, and GPAs. Our objective was to integrate information literacy skills into a first semester introductory biology laboratory with a multi-week, inquiry-based module that leverages primary literature. Here we describe the module, which challenges students to develop and test a hypothesis related to parental care behaviour in birds. Students form hypotheses based on literature searching done during librarian-led information literacy sessions, produce an annotated bibliography, collect and analyse video data of barn swallows feeding their offspring, and present their findings. Analysis of students’ annotated bibliographies indicates that 83% of the referenced papers were appropriate for developing their specific hypotheses. The key elements ofa successful information literacy training plan include faculty-librarian collaboration, multiple classroom or laboratory sessions that introduce or utilize information literacy, and relevance ofthe information literacy training to an assignment. By introducing information literacy early inbiology curricula, departments can develop tiered information literacy plans that incorporate opportunities for students to use and refine these skills throughout their studies.     

Geographic origin of journal articles on nonhuman primates

During the 1970s variations in the number of citations published in CURRENT PRIMATE REFERENCES seemed to parallel changes in the fortunes of primate research in the United States. In 1981 and 1982, however, the trends diverged, with the number of citations increasing 25% over the two years. In an effort to identify more specifically some factors underlying the trend in literature growth, citations of journal articles appearing in 1971, 1976, and 1981 issues were tabulated according to the general subject indicated by the title and the site of research indicated by the author's address. The number of journal articles was 20% larger in 1981 than in 1971. The United States was the largest contributor in all three years, but its relative contribution declined. Continental Western Europe ranked second consistently, and its contribution grew at an above-average rate. Japan ranked fifth in 1971 and third in 1981. India contributed less than 2% of the literature in 1971 and more than 3% in 1981, as a result of a doubling of its contribution. The subject composition of the literature did not change greatly.