Biology of the Vertebrates 2011
EEB 2214, Fall 2011
The evolution of form, function,
& diversity of the vertebrates
Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45 in BPB130
Textbook: VERTEBRATE LIFE Pough F. H., C. M. Janis, and J. B. Heiser. 2009. Vertebrate Life, 8th Edition. Prentice Hall.
Contents
Instructors
Dr. Kentwood Wells
Email: kentwood.wells@uconn.edu
Office: Torrey Life Sciences Building 312
Phone: (860) 486-4319
Office hours: by appointment
Susan Herrick
Office: Torrey Life Science Building 470
Phone: (860) 486-5662
Office hours: by appointment
Elizabeth Timpe (Teaching Assistant)
Email: elizabeth.timpe@uconn.edu
Office: Biology/Pharmacy 322
Phone: (860) 486-6215
Office hours: Tuesdays 2:00-3:30, and by appointment
Grading
Exam 1 = 100 points (25%)
Exam 2 = 100 points (25%)
Exam 3 = 100 points (25%)
Final - Cumulative = 100 points (25%)
There will be two one-hour, non-cumulative, exams scheduled during the lecture hour. During the final exam period, a third one-hour exam will be given covering material from the final third of the course. Additionally a final cumulative exam will be administered at this time.
Course Policies
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 have his or her grade for the missed exam prorated based on his or her performance on the remainder of the exams. We will not give make-up exams. Every student must take the final (Exam 4). Permission to reschedule the final can only be obtained through procedures determined by the Office of Student Services and Advocacy.
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.
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.
Help Resources
The secret of success to this course is to not let yourself fall behind. Be sure to fill gaps in your notes and navigate blocks in your understanding as soon as possible. While we welcome any and all questions on the material, before you contact us, please first check the resources below to see if your question has already been answered. If/when you do contact us, please understand that we will respond as quickly as we can, but we do have other obligations that might prevent this from happening as urgently as you may need (like 3:00 am the day of an exam...).
Study Questions
FAQ's:
Review Sessions:
Links to External Resources:
- DigiMorph - Excellent source of 2 & 3D images of internal & external structures of various organisms
- ARKive - a unique collection of thousands of wildlife videos, images and fact-files, with a special focus on the world's threatened species
Vertebrates in the News
Lecture Schedule & Materials
Date | Topic | Readings | Supplemental materials | |
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Part I: Aug 30 - Oct 13, Dr. Kentwood Wells | ||||
Aug 30 | Diversity, classification, and origin of vertebrates | Chapters 1, 2 | ||
Sept 1 | Vertebrate body plan and organ systems | Chapter 2 | ||
Sept 7 | Living Jawless Vertebrates | Ch. 3 |
Study Questions
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Sept 9 Sept 10 |
Early Vertebrate Fossils Groups Assigned for Video Project |
Ch. 3 | Study Questions Lamprey Spawning |
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Sept 14 | Early Vertebrate Fossils & Chondrichthyans | Ch. 5 | Study Questions Sample Questions Male Sand Tiger Shark Swimming Whitetip Reef Sharks Mating Leopard Shark Courtship Lemon Shark Birthing |
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Sept 16 | Chondrichthyans & Osteichthyan Origins | Ch. 5, 6 | Study Questions Shark Feeding on Albatross Whale Shark Feeding Eagle Ray Feeding/Locomoting Manta Ray Feeding |
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Sept 21 | Actinopterygians | Ch. 6 | Study Questions Paddlefish Feeding Fish Suction Feeding Moray Eel Feeding (with Pharyngeal Jaw) |
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Sept 23 Sept 23 Sept 24 |
Sarcopterygii and Evolution of Tetrapods Tree Workshop BPB 130 6:00PM Video Topic Submission Due |
Ch. 9 (pp. 196-211) | Study Questions Coelacanth Lungfish vs. Bird |
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Sept 27 Sept 28 Sept 28 |
Review Session BPB 131 6:00PM Tetrapod Origins and Amphibian Diversity Review Session BPB 130 6:00 PM |
Ch. 10 | Study Questions Caecilian Feeding Salamander Pheromone Delivery Salamander Sperm Transfer Giant Salamander |
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Sept 30 | EXAM 1 includes material through the origin of tetrapod (but not amphibian diversity) | --------- | ||
Oct 5 | Frogs | Ch. 10 | Study Question Slow Motion Jumping Frog Frog Feeding on Frog Toad Feeding Gray Treefrog Calling Screaming Frog Toad Amplexus Red-eyed Treefrog Eggs Hatching Suriname Toad Reproduction Corroboree Frog Reproduction | |
Oct 7 Oct 8 |
Amphibian Declines Video Project Synopsis Due |
Ch. 10 | Study Questions Frog vs. Snake Lake Titicaca Frog Golden Toad Mating |
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Oct 12 | Amniote Origins / Lepidosaurs | Ch. 9 (pp. 211-218), Ch. 13 | Study Questions Tail Autonomy |
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Oct 14 | Evolution of Snakes | Ch. 13 (pp. 339-349) | Study Question Namib Chameleon Blood Squirting in Horned Lizards Snake Eating Crab |
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Part II: Oct 19 - Dec 16, Dr. Margaret Rubega | ||||
Oct 19 | Turtles | Ch. 12 | UPDATED Available Video Meeting Times Ophir et al. 2009 Why you shouldn't text in class Study Questions Turtles Digging a Nest Turtle Laying Eggs Turtle Hatchlings Emerging Turtle Hatchlings Heading to the Water |
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Oct 21 | Introduction to Archosaurs & Crocodilians | Ch. 16 | Amniota Phylogeny Worksheet Study Questions Alligator Walking Croc Galloping Alligator Courtship Female Crocodile Digging Out Hatchlings |
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Oct 26 | Archosaurs: Pterosaurs | Ch. 16 | Amniota Synapomorphy Worksheet Study Questions Pterosaur Locomotion |
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Oct 28 | Dinosaurs and Other Mesosoic Diapsids | Ch. 16 | Study Questions | |
Nov 1 Nov 2 |
Review Session BPB 131 6:00PM EXAM 2 includes material beginning with Lissamphibia and ending on Saurichia (includes all of Thursday's lecture material) |
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Nov 4 | Dinosaurs II - Theropods | Ch. 16 | Study Questions | |
Nov 9 | Birds: Avian Origins | Ch. 16 (pp. 439-443) | Study Questions Wing-assisted Incline Running |
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Nov 11 | Birds: Feeding, Morphology, and Reproduction | Ch. 17 | Study Questions | |
Nov 16 | Birds: Reproduction, and Introduction to Mammals | Ch. 17 | Study Questions | |
Nov 18 | Mammals: Origins and Radiation Video Project Due |
Ch. 18 | Study Questions | |
Nov 30 | Mammals: Primate Evolution and Human Diversity | Ch. 24 | Study Questions | |
Dec 2 | Mammals: Primate Evolution continued and Mammal Diversity |
Ch. 20 | Study Questions | |
Dec. 7 | Vertebrate Mass Extinctions, Past and Present Evaluations of 5 Group Videos Due by 5 pm |
Ch. 21 | Study Questions | |
Dec 9 | Vertebrate Mass Extinctions, Past and Present | Ch. 25 | Study Questions Thylacine Wolf |
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Dec 13 Dec 16 |
Review Session BPB 131 7:00PM EXAM 3 (FINAL) 10:30 am-12:30 pm |
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