Difference between revisions of "Biology of the Vertebrates 2011"

Revision as of 21:30, 29 August 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.

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

Alaska to appeal decision to keep polar bears on threatened species list - 28 Aug 2011
Dolphin tool use - 28 Aug 2011

Lecture Schedule & Materials