In this paper the authors describe the ultrastructure of the mature spermatozoon and the spermatid in Struthio camelus and Dromaius novaehollandiae. The first species is characterized by a rod-like perforatorium within an endonuclear canal in the anterior third of the nucleus, while the second is characterized by an extremely reduced completely extranuclear perforatorium. Other differences are in the sperm dimensions, the number of mitochondria and the length of the axonemal accessory fibers. Considering both the present data and previous findings, Palaeognath birds appear to be a peculiar and monophyletic group, characterized by: 1), a conical acrosome surrounding the nucleus; 2), a fibrous sheath around most of the axoneme; and 3), an elongated distal centriole occupying the entire midpiece. Within this group, Tinamiformes seem to be more primitive than Struthioniformes. In the latter order Dromaius is distinctly different from the reduced Struthio and Rhea which are closely related to one another by the presence of a rod-like endonuclear perforatorium.

Scienzaonline is an interactive web site developed by the Museum of Zoology of Rome that offers various services. After the site had been online for three years, we examined approximately 800 questions received by the service Expert on line to understand what laypeople's interests in science are and in which life contexts they emerge. The contents of the questions were categorized to reveal the function and the nature of the knowledge that people expect from “experts”. Some kind of actual accomplishment motivates most of the questions, though a considerable number of them have knowledge and understanding as their objective. Information is the main form of expected knowledge and disciplinary knowledge is viewed as the privileged source of it. A relevant percentage of messages reveal the desire to obtain explanations and validations of reported facts, an aid to go beyond factual knowledge. Striving to find answers to “great unanswered questions” emerges as a passionate intellectual endeavor for some people.

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Biological museums can promote interest in evolution and contribute to its understanding. Modern exhibitions generally emphasize the main concepts of evolutionary theory: biodiversity and adaptation. In 2009 at the Zoological Museum of Rome, to celebrate Charles Darwin, a pilot didactic project was carried out for schools and the general public in order to involve people in evolutionary issues, to stimulate interest and at constructing knowledge about evolution. An exhibition consisting of exhibits and laboratory settings was created. The thematic contexts of the exhibition and the practical experiences were aimed at facing some epistemological obstacles that influence the understanding of evolution and at constructing some “framing concepts” that, on the contrary, could facilitate it. The communicative and didactic strategies were all participative and interactive, based on the personal questioning and restructuring of preexisting knowledge. Behaviors, conversations, and comments by the participants were monitored in order to record any possible change of ideas, interests, attitudes, and learning.