Small, Medium or Large: Why Is Size so Important?

Maura Flannery
1989 The American history teacher  
series are not nearly as captivating. As with the other two segments, Wings Over the Pond, the second in the series, is generally free of terminology. This tape presents a rather generous portion of flying dragonffies and damselflies. Featured are differences between these two types of insects, especially in wing positions. Differences between frogs and toads are also presented but are less precise. The last tape, A Tiger in the Pond, describes in an abbreviated fashion the life cycles of two
more » ... ter insects. Two methods of acquiring oxygen are presented along with the methods a predatory insect employs in capturing and eating prey. Attempts are close-up focusing and the dissemination of misinformation, such as describing the Water Boatman and Backswimmer as the same insect, are unfortunate distractions. The symphonic music score, although brief, also seems incongruous for the level of audience and subject matter. I advise you to take time for a preview before buying this series. Size is a fascinating, yet overlooked aspect of biology. Whales and amoebae, dinosaurs and bacteria are all living things. The diversity in size among organisms is immense, yet we tend to take it for granted. Knut Schmidt-Nielsen (1984) says that: size differences are so obvious that often we give no further thought to them. We know that the elephant is much bigger than the mouse, but we rarely think about how much bigger; in fact, an elephant weighs 100,000 times more than a mouse.
doi:10.2307/4448870 fatcat:g2ekme3r55dhpogqjropofjlqm