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Appalachian Spring: Long-Term Studies at Mountain Lake

17 minutes 52 seconds

Now Playing As: Captioned (English) (change)

The video "Appalachian Spring: Long-Term Studies at Mountain Lake" from the "Ordinary Extraordinary Junco" series delves into the fascinating world of dark-eyed juncos in Mountain Lake, Virginia. Ellen Ketterson, a biology professor from Indiana University, has been conducting research on these birds for decades. The video emphasizes evolutionary biology, focusing on junco mating behaviors, parental care, and the impact of testosterone on reproduction. Researchers study the juncos in both natural and controlled environments, using innovative methods like DNA fingerprinting to explore genetic and hormonal influences. This long-term study enhances our understanding of avian behavior and its parallels to human social structures, shedding light on broader ecological concepts. The video provides valuable insights into evolution and animal behavior, making it an enriching resource for exploring the natural world.

Media Details

Runtime: 17 minutes 52 seconds

Teacher Guide Study Questions Series DVD
ASL
Man in suit and bowtie with a blackboard behind him. Blackboard shows two sets of birds in cages, one with lights, one without. Caption: This pioneering experiment would make Rowan famous.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 2
4 minutes 54 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Map of North and Central America. Different areas of the map are highlighted to indicate the habitat areas and 5 birds are superimposed on the map. The highlighted areas are concentrated in central Mexico, the west coast of the United states, and much of Canada and Alaska. Caption: they changed eye color from yellow to dark.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 4
14 minutes 10 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Bird with white belly, dark back and wings perched on a branch in a thicket. Caption: People are more like birds than we thought.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 1
2 minutes 54 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
ASL
A small bird perched on a plank. Caption: Somehow, there was a critical mass action that took off.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 7
15 minutes 54 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Bird perched in a tree. Caption: That would be evidence of habitat adaptation.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 6
11 minutes 17 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Closeup of a bird on a branch. The bird has a light-colored body and a dark head. Caption: where they're evolving right before our eyes,
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 8
3 minutes 11 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
A bird's nest in the ground with a baby bird, beak open. Caption: There will be winners and losers each year.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 3
17 minutes 52 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
A small bird perched on a person's hand. It is gay with some brown on the wings. Caption: It's much more olive-gray, duskier gray on the head.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode 5
18 minutes 5 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
3 people with hats, backpacks, and cameras and several horses, some with riders, hike up a dirt trail on a mountain amongst various flora in the fall. Caption. The mountains of Baja.
Ordinary Extraordinary Junco
Episode
1 hour 32 minutes
Grade Level: 9 - 12
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