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Plummer Lectures |
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Updated 19 March 2007
Guidelines
1. Biodiversity
is important in any field of biology, including physiology. Thus, you should give attention to phylogeny and
specific examples that illustrate physiological principles.
2. Our knowledge
regarding the physiology of animals is biased toward certain taxa. For example, we know more about the general
physiology of vertebrates than other animal taxa and we
know more about the physiology of certain processes, e.g., digestive
physiology, in mammals than in other vertebrate classes. This disparity may
bias our general understanding of how animals work and how they came to be like
they are.
3. I will not
cover every section of Hill et al. in my lectures. Students will be responsible for the material
I do not cover, including all chapter Boxes, pp. 150-160, 228-232, and chap.
9. In addition, it would be wise to
review chap. 1.
Statement
As a Christian biologist and teacher, I believe I
have a moral obligation to equip my students to be competitive in the workplace
and post-graduate study. To be fully
equipped, a biology graduate must have a working knowledge of evolutionary
theory. I believe it desirable that students be exposed to
evolutionary concepts by teachers who have a worldview that encompasses more
than just the physical world subject to scientific investigation. My personal worldview is a Christian
worldview; in my teaching and research I approach evolution with the full
recognition that God is the source of all life and the source of all processes
that sustain and continue life.
In my classes I
present evolution for the purposes of exposing students to the conceptual
framework from which most professional biologists work, preparing students for
programs that assume a working knowledge of evolution, and providing
prospective secondary teachers the knowledge necessary to pass their licensure exam
and to deal with questions they will face from their students, parents, and
community.
If any student has concerns regarding my presentation of evolution,
I encourage and welcome them to discuss the matter with me. – Mike Plummer