Biology of the Vertebrates
The evolution of form, function, and diversity of the vertebrates
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45 in BSP130
Textbook: TBA
Contents
Instructors
Dr. Kentwood D. Wells
Office: Torrey Life Science Room 312
Phone: (860) 486-4319
Office hours: TBA
Dr. Margaret Rubega
Office: Biology/Pharmacy 500
Phone: 486-4502
Office hours: by appointment
Diego Sustaita (Teaching Assistant)
Office: BioPharm 402
Phone: 486-0309
Office hours: TBA
Grading
Point Distribution
Under construction
Missed exams and Concerns about Finals
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:
Review Session Information
Under construction
Study Materials
PHYLOGENY TUTORIAL
Practice Quiz
Practice Quiz Answers
Study guide for Exam 1
Practice Multiple Choice Questions
(Check regularly for frequent updates)
FAQ's
Under construction
Lecture Schedule, Review Questions, and Video Links
Date | Instructor | Topic | Readings | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug. 26 | Jockusch | Vertebrate diversity Salamanders Feeding Marine Iguana Running Komodo Dragon Walking |
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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 Leafy Seadragon Babies Hatching Mangrove Killifish in Log Pictures of Deep Sea Fishes Bottom Trawling |
pp. 150-155 | |
Sept. 18 | Jockusch | Fish conservation, Sarcopterygii Guide to Sustainable Seafood Choices-- |
pp. 118-124 | |
Sept. 23 | Jockusch | The origin of tetrapods | pp. 196-210 | |
Sept. 25 | Jockusch | Lissamphibian diversity Salamander Courtship--Headslap Salamander Sperm Transfer Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias) Frog Eats Frog |
Ch. 10 | |
Sept. 30 | Jockusch | Exam 1 | ||
Oct. 2 | Jockusch | Lissamphibian diversity continued Frog defenses-In Snake's Mouth Escape Hatching from Snake Attack |
Ch. 10 | |
Oct. 7 | Jockusch | Amniote diversity/desert adaptations | pp. 327-336, 341-374 | |
Oct. 9 | Jockusch | Evolution of snakes Heat Avoidance in Desert Chameleon Horned Lizard Defense (Spurting Blood!) Snake Jaw in Action |
pp. 336-341 | |
Oct. 14 | Rubega | Turtles Kemp's Ridley turtle digging a nest Kemp's Ridley turtle laying eggs Kemp's Ridley turtle eggs hatching Kemp's Ridley turtle hatchlings making their way to the sea after hatching |
Ch. 12 | |
Oct. 16 | Rubega | Diapsids: Archosaurs; Crocodilians Crocodile Parental Care || pp. 397-407 || | ||
Oct. 21 | Rubega | Archosaurs: Pterosaurs to Dinosaurs | pp. 407 - 436 | |
Oct. 23 | Rubega | Dinosaurs II | pp. 407-436 | |
Oct. 28 | Rubega | Birds: Avian origins Wing-assisted Incline Running in birds WAIR in a variety of birds |
pp. 426-436 | |
Oct. 30 | Rubega | Birds: Feeding Crows use cars as a feeding tool! |
pp. 458 -463 | |
Nov. 4 | Rubega | Birds: Morphology and Reproduction | pp.443-448, 453-458, 463-478 | |
Nov. 6 | Rubega | Birds: Reproduction Australian Bowerbird Behavior |
Chap 18 | |
Nov. 11 | Rubega | Exam 2 | ||
Nov. 13 | Rubega | Mammals: Diversity | pp. 519-543 | |
Nov. 18 | Rubega | Mammals: Morphology and Behavior | Ch. 21 | |
Nov. 20 | Rubega | Mammals: Primate evolution and human origins Muybridge movie showing the ungulate foot as a spring | Chapter 24 | |
Dec. 2 | Rubega | Mammals: Primate evolution and human origins continued | Ch. 24 | |
Dec. 4 | Rubega | Vertebrate mass extinctions, past and present; Vertebrate Conservation | pp.663-671 ; 671-687 | |
Dec. 5 | Maria | Review Session, 4-6pm, BSB 130 | ||
Dec. 8 | Final Exam 3:30-5:30 pm (TENTATIVE) |
Vertebrates in the NewsTiktaalik Article |