Mammalogy

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FALL 2011


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OpossumWithBabies.jpg
Tiger.jpg
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INSTRUCTOR


Kurt in 1977 as Bronx Zoo mammal keeper, with juvenile guanaco (and hair!)
Kurt now...


Kurt Schwenk, Ph.D., Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Office: BioPharmacy 600 (6th floor, next to north, freight elevators)
Lab: BioPharmacy 410, 412
Voice: (860) 486-0351
Lab phone: 860-486-4158
Fax: (860) 486-6364
Email: kurt.schwenk@uconn.edu
Dr. Schwenk's web page




HOW TO GET TO KURT'S OFFICE (FROM THE TORREY LIFE SCIENCES BLDG.)

1. Go to basement of Torrey
2. Go to east end of hallway (the end closest to Pathobiology bldg., where PNB labs are)
3. Enter Pharmacy-Biology Bldg. through double doors
4. Walk down ramp to elevator - take elevator to 6th floor
5. Exit elevator and turn sharp right - office door is right there (my name is on the wall)

HOW TO GET TO KURT'S OFFICE (FROM SOUTH SIDE OF CAMPUS)

1. Enter Pharmacy-Biology Bldg. through main entrance
2. Go to lobby elevator, take to 6th floor
3. Exit elevator, turn right
4. Walk until you come to closed double doors that have sign on them saying 'Alarm Will Sound' - IGNORE THIS and walk right through
5. Walk down hallway past labs and at end of hall pass through another set of double doors into freight elevator vestibule
6. Kurt's office is immediately to left of elevator


TEACHING ASSISTANT


Mammalogy TA Laura Cisneros is a doctoral student working with Prof. Mike Willig
Laura is an expert on bats! (click on the image to make it larger)


Laura Cisneros (doctoral student)
Office/Lab: CESE 187 Bldg 4 Annex (Horsebarn Hill) - Laura can arrange to meet with students in Torrey Life Sciences
Voice: 486-1772
Fax: 486-6364
Email: laura.cisneros@uconn.edu
Web: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Laura_Cisneros

http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/people/willig/student_pages/Laura_homepage.html











ASSISTANT TEACHING ASSISTANT


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Bill is a snake expert. He is so strong, he can lift heavy salamanders like this one!
]


Bill Ryerson (doctoral student in Kurt's lab)
Office/Lab: BioPharm 410
Voice: 486-4158
Fax: 486-6364
Email: william.ryerson@uconn.edu
Web: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/William_Ryerson









ANNOUNCEMENTS



  • (11/6) LECTURE EXAM 1 IS GRADED AND AVAILABLE IN BOX OUTSIDE OF THE LAB! (A few of you requested pdfs, which have been sent)


  • (11/6) Undergrad section average grade = 87.9, range = 73.5-96; grad section avg. = 90.8, range = 87-95


  • (11/6) LECTURE EXAM 2 IS ON TUESDAY. NOTE: Most people lost points on Exam 1 owing to incomplete answers on short essay questions. Remember, although answers can be concise, they must include information about the relevant context or significance of the word or phrase - it is not enough only to give a general definition. Why am I asking about it? What was the context in which the concept was presented in lecture? If you provide this information correctly, you will get full points.


  • (11/7) EXAM 2 EXAMPLE QUESTIONS - I JUST CAN'T GET TO THEM TONIGHT - I'M ONLY BACK TO WORK AT 9:00 PM.. Good luck on Tuesday exam!


  • (10/31) FANTASTIC INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY WORKING WITH HYENAS IN AFRICA WITH WORLD'S EXPERT - Download pdf description for information on applying:
Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)


  • (11/1) UDALL SCHOLARSHIP INFO FLYER - ENVIRONMENTALLY-MINDED SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS ONLY
Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)


  • (11/1) 1 POINT EXTRA CREDIT (UP TO 3) FOR SUBMISSION AND ACCEPTANCE OF A MAMMAL-BASED CARTOON (SEE BELOW FOR EXAMPLES)



COURSE DOWNLOADS



1. (8/31) COURSE SYLLABUS Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

2. (9/23) LAB HANDOUTS WARNING!! - THESE ARE OUT-DATED AND UNEDITED AND WILL BE UPDATED BEFORE THE LAB - USE FOR PREP ONLY

LAB 4 Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

LAB 5 Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

LAB 6 Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

LAB 7 Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

LAB 8 Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

LAB 9-10 Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)

3. (10/2) LECTURE EXAM 1 SAMPLE QUESTIONS: NOTE: THESE ARE NOT INTENDED TO COVER ALL OF THE MATERIAL - THEY JUST GIVE YOU A FLAVOR FOR THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED. Some of them may appear on the actual exam either unchanged or in modified form (but certainly not all of them).

QUESTIONS ONLY:
Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)
ANSWERS:
Pdficon small.gif(DOWNLOAD PDF)


FLEHMAN BEHAVIOR IN BIG CATS


CLICK ON THE THUMBNAIL TO SEE A LARGER VERSION

Tiger (photo by Kelly Tardiff)
Cougar (photo by Kelly Tardiff)
Leopard (photo by Kelly Tardiff)



MAMMALOGY CARTOONS


1 point extra credit (up to 3 pts.) for every mammal-relevant cartoon submitted and posted! Give your submissions to Kurt (electronic or hard copy)

CLICK ON THE THUMBNAIL TO SEE A LARGER VERSION

WhaleOriginCartoon214.jpg
MammCartoonAntdrinker.jpg
MammCartoonWhackamole.jpg
MammCartoonCaveman.jpg
MammCartoonBearHaiku.jpg
MammCartoonMacaques.jpg
MammCartoonPunkupine.jpg
Jessie Ryan 1
Jessie Ryan 2
Jennifer Postemski 1
Jennifer Postemski 2
Jennifer Postemski 3



LINKS


MONOTREMES

Platypus evolution
Platypus feeding, locomotion, venomous spurs, reproduction, etc.

PILOSA

Giant anteater, Myrmecophaga – my personal favorite mammal in the world. I was once attacked by one at the Bronx Zoo…
Giant anteater with baby on back
Baby giant anteater – cutest, weirdest animal on the planet

CINGULATA

Armadillo foraging, using olfaction

TUBULIDENTATA

Aardvark foraging - note use of nose and olfaction to find prey

FEEDING

Giraffe feeding - tongue is used to strip leaves off of spiny Acacia trees in Africa
Lesser anteater (Tamandua) feeding on ants in trees
Pangolin feeding
Aardvark feeding - amazing tongue footage!

LOCOMOTION

Platypus locomotion - note laterally sprawled posture
Armadillo gathering grass
Armadillo locomotion
Lion skeleton animation showing mobile pectoral girdle and spinal flexion
Cheetah animated model showing extreme spinal flexion and increase in stride length
Baboon locomotion
Horse locomotion made from sequential still photos - note 4 feet off ground during gallop and relatively stiff spine
Kangaroo bipedal hopping - with each hop tendons stretch, then release elastic energy for rebound

Place your bets

Cheetah vs. gazelle
Harpy eagle vs. sloth
Golden eagle vs. mountain goat
Crowned eagle vs. water chevrotain
Golden Eagle vs. cougar
Jaguar vs. anaconda
Hunter vs. deer
Water buffalo vs. lion vs. croc