Biology of the Vertebrates

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

Date	Topic	Readings	Supplemental materials*
	Part I: Sept 1 - Oct 15, Dr. Kentwood D. Wells
Sept 1	Diversity, classification, and origin of vertebrates	Ch. 1, 2	----
Sept 3	Vertebrate body plan and organ systems	Ch. 2	----
Sept 8	Fossil and living jawless vertebrates	Ch. 3	----
Sept 10	Evolution of jaws; biology of Chondrichthyes	Ch. 3,5	----
Sept 15	Evolution of bony fishes; sarcopterygians	Ch. 6	----
Sept 17	Respiration, feeding, schooling of fishes	Ch. 4,6	----
Sept 22	Fish reproduction, mating systems, parental care	Ch. 6	----
Sept 24	Origin of tetrapods	Ch. 7,8,9	----
Sept 29	Diversity, morphology, and feeding of amphibians	Ch. 10	----
Sept 30	Midterm Exam I Review session	----	----
Oct 1	MIDTERM EXAM I	----	----
Oct 6	Reproduction and mating systems of amphibians	Ch. 10	----
Oct 8	Amniote evolution, morphology, reproduction	Ch. 11	----
Oct 13	Lepidosaur biology	Ch. 13	----
Oct 15	Physiological adaptations of ectotherms	Ch. 4,13,14	----
	Part II: Oct 17 - Dec 17, Dr. Margaret Rubega

• 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

Under construction

FAQ's
Review sessions
Study Materials:

PHYLOGENY TUTORIAL

Practice Tree Quiz

Practice Quiz Answers

Study guide for Exam 1

Practice Multiple Choice Questions

(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