654-202 Vertebrate Biology: Form & Function (Lectures and Practical)

Note

Credit cannot be granted for both 654-202 and 654-212. Experiments involving the use of animals are an essential part of this subject; exemption is not possible.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Biology 600-141 and 600-142 (Before 1996: 600-101).

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Upon completion of this subject students should have:

• an appreciation of the range and diversity of vertebrate animals;
• an insight into the evolutionary history and relationships of the vertebrate groups;
• an understanding of the anatomy and functional organisation of the vertebrate body.

In the laboratory component students should:

• gain a practical knowledge of the structural diversity and relationships of the vertebrates;
• acquire skills in the anatomical and microscopical methods relevant to the study of vertebrate animals.

The subject provides an introduction to basic vertebrate anatomy and functional organisation; the diversity and relationships of living vertebrates; aspects of vertebrate phylogeny; and principal organ systems of the vertebrate body. The practical component will cover the microscopic anatomy of vertebrates; comparative studies of the vertebrate skeleton; and the gross anatomy of selected vertebrates.

Assessment

A 2-hour end-of-semester written examination and a 2-hour end-of-semester practical examination; laboratory notebooks and excursion reports (up to 1200 words in total).