Difference between revisions of "Biology of the Vertebrates"

Revision as of 23:38, 31 August 2009

EEB 2214, Fall 2009
The evolution of form, function, and diversity of the vertebrates
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. Kentwood D. Wells
Office: Torrey Life Science Room 380
Phone: (860) 486-4454
Office hours: by appointment

Dr. Margaret Rubega                                Note: All emails must contain "EEB2214" in the
Office: Biology/Pharmacy 500                        subject line to avoid being filtered out & deleted
Phone: 486-4502
Office hours: by appointment

Diego Sustaita (Teaching Assistant)
Office: BioPharm 402
Phone: 486-0309
Office hours: TBA

Lecture Schedule & Links

• Note on the posting of powerpoint illustrations: These are intended for the use of this class only and will be accessible via a group username and password provided on the first day of class. One reason for posting these illustrations is to cut down on the use of paper in the class, to save money and the environment. If you print out all of these on your own printer, you will defeat this purpose and use up a lot of expensive printer ink, especially because a lot of the slides have black backgrounds. So it is recommended that you use these online to review the material instead of printing them out.

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. Should you run into trouble with the material, below we have listed some steps for obtaining assistance. 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...).

FAQ's

Click here to view a continuously-updated list of frequently asked questions (posed by you & your peers!) - and answers (given by your instructors) - on the material.

Review Sessions

These are optional, and will be scheduled 1-3 days before each exam in order to help students obtain last-minute clarification on details, and discuss the material with the one-another and the TA. These are open-forum question/answer/discussion periods, and the structure is provided by the participants (that would be you). As such, they are really only effective if you come prepared with questions and/or comments (AND PARTICIPATE!). Please also note that he TA is not equipped recite any lectures you may have missed.

Study Materials:

PHYLOGENY TUTORIAL

Practice Tree Quiz

Practice Quiz Answers

Practice Multiple Choice Questions

Study guide for Exam 1

(Check regularly for frequent updates)

Grading

Point Distribution & Policy
Midterm Exam I...........100 pts
Midterm Exam II..........100 pts
Final Exam...................100 pts (Midterm Exam III) + 100 pts (cumulative) = 200 pts

Missed exams and Concerns about Finals
There will not be an opportunity for "make-up" points or extra credit points at the end of the semester. If you miss a test because of illness, we expect written documentation from a doctor. Do not come to class if you have a fever, excessive coughing, or other signs of an illness that might easily spread to other students. All indications are that the so-called swine flu spreads easily in groups. Even if turns out to not be very dangerous, there is the potential for a large proportion of a class to become ill at the same time.

Because of the size of the class, we will not be giving make-up exams; for students who have been ill, or have some other legitimate, documented reason for missing a test, we will simply calculate your grade based on the grades on the remaining exams. Note that this method reduces the number of points you can afford to lose and still do well in the course. We will not automatically drop the lowest exam grade for everyone in the course. If you have a legitimate excuse, your final (unlike the other tests) may be rescheduled, pending approval by the Registrar. WHETHER we reschedule your final exam is, believe it or not, not up to us. There is a university-wide policy on rescheduling exams here Important Final Exam Information. READ IT CAREFULLY NOW.

If you miss lectures because of illness, the illustrations from powerpoint presentations will be posted in PDF format on the course web page. If you cannot get lecture notes from a friend, please email the instructor to get the relevant material.

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
Marine Protected Areas Proposed
New Turtle Fossil with Partial Shell