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.
Contents
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 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:
Vertebrates in the News
Tiktaalik Article
Mammals Threatened with Extinction
New Feathered Dinosaur Discovered
Bat Disease Fungus Identified
Link to Tutorial, Practice Quiz, and Study Guide
Go through the powerpointPHYLOGENY TUTORIAL and then test your tree knowledge with this PRACTICE QUIZ
Practice Quiz Answers
Study guide for Exam 1
Practice Multiple Choice Questions
An answer key for exam 1 is posted outside of Dr. Jockusch's Office, BioPharm 305B.
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 | Synapsida: Mammals Origins | 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. 21 | Rubega | Mammals: Primate evolution and human origins | Chapter 24 | |
Dec. 2 | Rubega | Vertebrate mass extinctions, past and present | 663-671 | |
Dec. 4 | Rubega | Vertebrate Conservation | pp. 671-687 | |
Dec. 8 | Final Exam 3:30-5:30 pm (TENTATIVE) |