Biology of the Vertebrates

From EEBedia
Revision as of 22:42, 9 September 2008 by MariaPickering (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

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.


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
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:



Lecture Schedule and Review Questions

Date Instructor Topic Readings
Aug. 26 Jockusch Vertebrate diversity Pdficon small.gif Videos of Salamanders Feeding ---
Aug. 28 Jockusch Chordates and vertebrate origins Pdficon small.gif Ch. 1, Ch. 2
Sept. 2 Jockusch Living jawless vertebrates Pdficon small.gif pp. 48-53
Sept. 4 Jockusch Early vertebrate fossils Pdficon small.gif pp. 43-48, 53-71
Sept. 9 Jockusch Chondrichthyans Pdficon small.gif Ch. 5
Sept. 11 Jockusch Actinopterygians pp. 124-150
Sept. 16 Jockusch Fish conservation pp. 150-155
Sept. 18 Jockusch Evolution of tetrapods pp. 118-124, 196-210
Sept. 23 Jockusch Amphibian diversity and decline pp. 220-232, 249-265
Sept. 25 Jockusch Amphibian life histories pp. 232-249
Sept. 30 Jockusch Exam 1
Oct. 2 Jockusch Amniote origins pp. 211-218
Oct. 7 Jockusch Amniote diversity/desert adaptations pp. 327-336, 341-374
Oct. 9 Jockusch Evolution of snakes pp. 336-341
Oct. 14 Rubega Turtles Ch. 12
Oct. 16 Rubega Diapsids: Archosaurs; Crocodilians pp. 388-396
Oct. 21 Rubega Archosaurs: Pterosaurs to Dinosaurs pp. 397-421
Oct. 23 Rubega Dinosaurs II pp. 399-421
Oct. 28 Rubega Birds: Avian origins pp. 421-432
Oct. 30 Rubega Birds: Feeding pp. 456-461
Nov. 4 Rubega Birds: Morphology and Reproduction pp.466-480
Nov. 6 Rubega Synapsida: Mammals Origins pp. 287-
Nov. 11 Rubega Exam 2
Nov. 13 Rubega Mammals: Diversity pp. 519-544
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 661-667
Dec. 4 Rubega Vertebrate Conservation pp. 667-662, 679-683
Dec. 8 Final Exam 3:30-5:30 pm (TENTATIVE)