Biology of the Vertebrates
EEB 2214
Fall 2008
This course will cover the diversity of vertebrates and the evolution of form and function within this group.
Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45 in BSP130
Textbook: Pough F. H., C. M. Janis, and J. B. Heiser. 2005. Vertebrate Life, 7th Edition. Prentice Hall.
Instructors:
Dr. Elizabeth Jockusch
Office: Biology/Pharmacy 305B
Phone: 486-4452
E-mail: elizabeth.jockusch@uconn.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays, 2-3 pm, and by appointment
Dr. Margaret Rubega
Office: Biology/Pharmacy 500
Phone: 486-4502
E-mail: margaret.rubega@uconn.edu
Office hours: by appointment
Maria Pickering (teaching assistant)
Office: Torrey Life Sciences 480
Phone: 486-1882
E-mail: maria.pickering@uconn.edu
Office hours: Thursdays, 3-4 pm, and by appointment
Grading:
Exam 1 30% (100 points)
Exam 2 30% (100 points)
Final Exam 40% (133 points)
There will be two one-hour, non-cumulative, exams scheduled during the lecture hour. The two-hour final will be split into two parts: the first part will cover all material since the second exam, and the second part will be a comprehensive (cumulative) exam covering the entire course.
Missed exams
Any student who does not attend an exam and fails to receive permission in advance will receive a 0 for the exam. Approval of any request to miss an exam requires, but is not guaranteed by, verifiable written documentation of the reason. A student who receives approval to miss an exam will, at the discretion of the instructor, either take a make-up exam or have his or her course grade prorated based on performance in the remainder of the course.
Academic integrity
Plagiarism and cheating are violations of the student conduct code, and may be punished by failure in the course or, in severe cases, dismissal from the University. For more information, see Section IV of the Student Conduct Code available at the web site of the Dean of Students.
Disabilities
If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, you should contact a course instructor and the Center for Students with Disabilities (Wilbur Cross Building, Room 201) within the first two weeks of the semester:
NEW HELPFUL LINKS: Go through the powerpoint PHYLOGENY TUTORIAL and then test your tree knowledge with this PRACTICE QUIZ
Lecture Schedule, Review Questions, and Video Links
Date | Instructor | Topic | Readings | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug. 26 | Jockusch | Vertebrate diversity ![]() Salamanders Feeding Marine Iguana Running Komodo Dragon Walking |
--- | |
Aug. 28 | Jockusch | Chordates and vertebrate origins ![]() |
Ch. 1, Ch. 2 | |
Sept. 2 | Jockusch | Living jawless vertebrates ![]() Hagfish Sliming |
pp. 48-53 | |
Sept. 4 | Jockusch | Early vertebrate fossils ![]() |
pp. 43-48, 53-71 | |
Sept. 9 | Jockusch | Chondrichthyans ![]() Shark Mating Whale Shark Feeding Manta Ray Feeding Eagle Ray Feeding |
Ch. 5 | |
Sept. 11 | Jockusch | Actinopterygians ![]() Paddlefish Feeding Moray Eel Eating Listen to a Black Drum |
pp. 124-150 | |
Sept. 16 | Jockusch | Fish conservation | pp. 150-155 | |
Sept. 18 | Jockusch | Evolution of tetrapods | pp. 118-124, 196-210 | |
Sept. 23 | Jockusch | Amphibian diversity and decline | pp. 220-232, 249-265 | |
Sept. 25 | Jockusch | Amphibian life histories | pp. 232-249 | |
Sept. 30 | Jockusch | Exam 1 | ||
Oct. 2 | Jockusch | Amniote origins | pp. 211-218 | |
Oct. 7 | Jockusch | Amniote diversity/desert adaptations | pp. 327-336, 341-374 | |
Oct. 9 | Jockusch | Evolution of snakes | pp. 336-341 | |
Oct. 14 | Rubega | Turtles | Ch. 12 | |
Oct. 16 | Rubega | Diapsids: Archosaurs; Crocodilians | pp. 388-396 | |
Oct. 21 | Rubega | Archosaurs: Pterosaurs to Dinosaurs | pp. 397-421 | |
Oct. 23 | Rubega | Dinosaurs II | pp. 399-421 | |
Oct. 28 | Rubega | Birds: Avian origins | pp. 421-432 | |
Oct. 30 | Rubega | Birds: Feeding | pp. 456-461 | |
Nov. 4 | Rubega | Birds: Morphology and Reproduction | pp.466-480 | |
Nov. 6 | Rubega | Synapsida: Mammals Origins | pp. 287- | |
Nov. 11 | Rubega | Exam 2 | ||
Nov. 13 | Rubega | Mammals: Diversity | pp. 519-544 | |
Nov. 18 | Rubega | Mammals: Morphology and Behavior | Ch. 21 | |
Nov. 21 | Rubega | Mammals: Primate evolution and human origins | Chapter 24 | |
Dec. 2 | Rubega | Vertebrate mass extinctions, past and present | 661-667 | |
Dec. 4 | Rubega | Vertebrate Conservation | pp. 667-662, 679-683 | |
Dec. 8 | Final Exam 3:30-5:30 pm (TENTATIVE) |