Instructor: Peter May,
156 Sage Hall, 822-8189, peter.may@stetson.edu
Office hours: MWF - 8-9, 10-11 a.m.,
W - 1:00-2:30. Feel free to drop in any
time I'm in the office.
Lecture/lab schedule: Lecture - MWF
at 11:00; Laboratory - W at 2:30-5:15,
both in 144 Sage. Some of the labs will involve field trips, so dress
accordingly. You don't have to get wet,
but there will probably be bugs in many places, so be prepared. Formal laboratories will only be held for
about the first half of the semester; laboratory periods during the second half
of the semester will be free to allow you to work on independent research projects.
Text: The required text is Vertebrate
Life, by F.H. Pough, C.M. Janis, and J.B. Heiser (7th edition, 2005,
Pearson Prentice Hall). Please read scheduled chapters and sections carefully,
as we will not be able to cover all of this material in lecture. You will be
held responsible for assigned readings on exams. In addition, since one
emphasis of the laboratory portion will be familiarity with local vertebrates
and their habitats, any field guides you have on birds, mammals, herptiles,
fish, etc. may come in handy. The text
from Powerpoint presentations in class lectures will be posted on my website
(http://helmet.stetson.edu/~pmay/).
Course content: The primary focus of this course will be on the evolution,
structure, and natural history of vertebrates, with emphasis on local species.
By natural history, I mean the "whole-animal" biology of these beasts
- what they are, what distinguishes one group from another, and particularly,
what do they do in the real world to survive? Thus, the main emphasis will be
on behavior, ecology, and to some degree morphology and physiology as viewed
from a functional and adaptationist perspective. Evolutionary relationships and
processes as they apply to the vertebrates will also be covered. Laboratory sessions will focus on taxonomy
and identification of local vertebrates, and familiarity with some of the
habitats in which they occur in our area.
During the second half of the semester, the laboratory period will be
free so that you may pursue your own independent research project (required).
Evaluation: Grading will be based on your cumulative point total
from the following components:
3 lecture exams @100 pts. each - 300
Final exam (cumulative) - 150
Practical lab exam - keying, taxonomy 150
Primary literature summaries 150
-------
TOTAL
1000
Note that lab assignments (practical and research project) constitute 30% of
the final grade.
DEADLINES: Written
assignments and test format will be described in more detail in class at the
appropriate time. Primary literature summaries are brief written reviews of
papers from the journal Science that
concern some aspect of vertebrate biology.
I will pass out xeroxed copies of papers on Monday, and your summaries
are due the following Friday. There will
also be opportunity for class discussion of the week's paper during Friday's
lecture.
Lecture
tests will be on Friday, September 23,
Friday October 28, and Friday, December 2. The laboratory
practical examination will be on Wednesday,
November 23. The comprehensive
lecture exam will be on SATURDAY,
DECEMBER 10, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
In
order that you have time to conduct an appropriate literature search and
collect sufficient data, the topic for your research project must be chosen by Friday, October 7, and approved by
me. Although you will not be graded on
your proposal, I will deduct 5% from your final paper grade for each week that
you are late in selecting a research project.
All
students are expected to abide by the criteria of the Stetson University Honor
System, as specified in the Honor Pledge.
The Honor Pledge and other information about the Honor System can be
found at http://helmet.stetson.edu/honorsystem/pledge.php.
Any
student who feels that she or he may need an accommodation based on a
disability or medical condition should speak with me. In addition, please
contact the
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND
ASSIGNED
WEEK DATE TOPICS Chapters
1 8/24
Introduction, Systematics 1
2 8/29
Vertebrate origins 2
3 9/5
Vertebrate relationships; basic
structure and function (Monday off) 2
4 9/12
Early vertebrates; origin of
gnathostomes 3
5 9/19
Chondrichthyes 4,5
**Exam 1 F 9/23
6 9/26 Osteichthyes;
life in water 4,6
7 10/3 Life
in water, radiation of osteichthyes 6
8 10/10 Origin
and early radiation of tetrapods; ectothermy (Monday off) 7,8,14
9 10/17
Lissamphibia: modern amphibians 9,10
10 10/24 Origins
and early radiations of amniotes 11
**Exam #2 F 10/28
11 10/31 Turtles,
modern reptiles 12,13
12 11/7 Thermoregulation
and energetics, endothermy 14,15,
22
13 11/14 Dinosaurs;
Radiation and biology of birds 16
14 11/21
Biology of birds 17
15 11/28 Evolution
and biology of mammals 19,20,21
**Exam #3 F 12/2
16 12/5 Review
(Monday, Wednesday only)
Attendance
policy: Regular attendance at
lectures is encouraged; lecture exams will focus primarily on material covered
in class. Attendance and active
participation in class discussions may be a factor in assigning borderline
grades. Absence at lecture exams will be
excused only for documented, unavoidable circumstances. Attendance at all
laboratories is mandatory. There will be
no opportunities for make-up of missed laboratories, since there is only one
laboratory section meeting per week. A make-up or a pro-rated grade for quizzes
or tests missed for a valid, documented reason will be given at my
discretion.