WFSC 302 Syllabus

Spring 2006

Instructor: Dr. John W. Bickham
Office:  320 Old Heep
Phone:  845-5777

Office Hours:  MW 9-10:00 am
e-mail: j-bickham@.tamu.edu
Web Page:  http://people.tamu.edu/~bickham/WFSC302/index.htm

Lab Teaching Assistants:  Ryan Huebinger , Brian Rinner

Requirements:  Three 100 point lecture examinations and 100 points for lab final grade.
University rules regarding attendance, etc. will be strictly followed.
Make-up exams (for lecture only) will be given only for excused absences.

Text (required):  Vertebrate Life , 7th edition by Pough et al.
Lecture Notes can be downloaded from the WFSC 302 Materials Page
 

Course Content

 This is an upper level course concerned with the evolution of vertebrates. We trace the evolution of the major vertebrate characteristics and classes from the fossil record through advanced, extant species of today. The lecture is offered on Mondays and Wednesdays and is concerned primarily with extinct fauna and their relationship to extant fauna as well as the phylogenetic relationships among the different vertebrate classes. The laboratory is offered on Thursdays and Fridays and deals with extant species--it relies on a hands on approach to interpreting and understanding external vertebrate characteristics and relationships.  

Course Outline:

Jan. 18   Introduction to Vertebrate Natural History: Course theme, methods of biological classification, species concepts.

        Required Reading:    Geological Time Scale.  Inside front cover of text. 

                                        Phylogenetic relationships of extant vertebrates.  Chapter 1, Fig. 1-4.

Jan. 23  Phylum Chordata: characters, taxonomy of Protochordates.
        Required Reading:    The environment of early vertebrate evolution.  Chapter 3, pp. 47-48. 

Jan. 25  Subphylum Vertebrata: Characters and origins, classification and evolution of agnathan fishes

             and conodonts.  

        Required Reading:    Paleozoic terrestrial ecosystems.  Chapter 7, pp. 163-165.
                                        Extant jawless fishes.  Chapter 3, pp. 48-53.

Jan. 30 Gnathostomata--Jawed fish with paired fins:  Origin of jaws and evolution of placoderm fishes.

        Required Reading:    Phylogenetic relationships of jawed fishes.  Chapter 3, Fig. 3-14.

                                        Electroreception by sharks and rays.  Chapter 4, pp. 82-84.

Feb. 1, 6  Class Chondrichthyes--Characters, taxonomy, and natural history of sharks, rays,

                      and chimaeras.  Chapter 5.

Feb. 8  Class Osteichthys--Classification of the major groups of ray-finned fishes,

                Life histories of anadromous Salmonid fishes. 

                Classification, evolution, and natural histories of lobe-fined fishes.
        Required Reading:    Adjusting Buoyancy.  Chapter 4, pp. 77-79.

                                       Dipnoans.  Chapter 6, pp, 120-122.
                                       Actinistians.  Chapter 6, pp. 123-124.

February 13  Exam I - Fish

Feb. 15  Class Amphibia--Characters, ecology, and origin of tetrapods; classification of extinct and

                living amphibians.

        Required Reading:    Paleozoic terrestrial ecosystems.  Chapter 7, pp. 163-165.

                                        Phylogenetic relationships of sarcopterygian fishes and early tetrapods. 

                                        Chapter 9, Fig. 9-1.

Feb. 20  Living Amphibians--Taxonomic diversity and reproductive strategies.

        Required Reading:    Modes of reproduction.  Chapter 10, pp. 243-244.

                                        Parental care.  Chapter 10, pp. 244-246.

                                        Viviparity.  Chapter 10, pp. 246.

Feb. 22  Class Reptilia--Characters and classification, the amniote egg.

        Required Reading:    Derived features of Amniotes.  Chapter 9, pp. 211-214, Fig. 9-12.

Feb. 27  Anapsid reptiles--Origin of reptiles and living turtles.
        Required Reading:    Environmental effects on egg development.  Chapter 12, pp. 317-318.

                                        Temperature-dependent sex determination.  Chapter 12, Fig. 12-10.

                                        Navigation and migration.  Chapter 12, pp. 319-322.

Mar. 1  Diapsid reptiles--Marine reptiles and convergent evolution.  Chapter 16 part.

Mar. 6  Diapsid reptiles--Lepidosauria--tuatara, lizards, and snakes.  Chapter 13 part.

Mar. 8, 20  Diapsid reptiles--Archosauria--the ruling reptiles, Crocodilians and Dinosaurs.
        Required Reading:    Social behavior of Ornithischians.  Chapter 16, pp. 408.

                                        Dinosaur eggs and nests.  Chapter 16, Box 16-1.

                                        Dromeosaurs.  Chapter 16, pp. 417-418.
                                        Crocodilians and birds as models for dinosaurs.  Chapter 16, pp. 395-397. 

March 22  Exam II - Amphibians and Reptiles

Mar. 27  Class Aves--Characteristics; adaptations for flight.
        Required Reading:    Body form and the Skeleton.  Chapter 17, pp. 439, 442-444.

Mar. 29  Origin and evolution of flight.
        Required Reading:    The evolution of birds and flight.  Chapter 16, pp. 421-424.

April 2 Extra Credit field trip to Bracken Cave (Sunday)

April 3  Avian systematics: Archaeopteryx and ratites.
        Required Reading:    Early birds.  Chapter 16, pp. 425-429, Chapter 16, Fig. 16-25.

April 5  Avian systematics: Neognathus birds.
        Required Reading:    Classification of extant birds.  Chapter 16, Table 16.1, Chapter 16, Fig. 16-28.

April 10 Synapsida and the class Mammalia: characteristics. Chapter 20.

April 12  Origin of mammals.

        Required Reading:    Evolution of the mammalian middle ear.  Chapter 18, Box 18-1.

April 17  Mammalian systematics: Prototherians and mesozoic mammals, monotremes.

April 19 Mammalian systematics: Marsupials.

April 24  Mammalian systematics: Eutherian orders.

        Required Reading:    Biogeography of Cenozoic Mammals.  Chapter 20, pp. 544.

              Cenozoic Mammals

        Required Reading:    Convergent evolution of mammalian ecomorphological types. 

                                        Chapter 20, pp. 544-546.

April 26 Final Exam.  Birds and Mammals.
 

 Grading Procedures

There will be three (3) lecture examination worth 100 points each, including the final examination.  Exams will cover lecture material and assigned outside readings.  Each exam will cover only new material which has been presented since the last exam.  Exams will consist of true/false questions and multiple choice questions.
Students need to bring a gray Scantron sheet for each examination.

  Final Grade = (total # of points scored) /4  

Message from TAMU and Faculty Senate regarding copyright and plagiarism - The handouts used in this course are copyrighted.  By "handouts," I mean all materials generated for this class, which include but are not limited to syllabi, quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets.  Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy the handouts, unless I expressly grant permission.  As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one's own ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another.  In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person.  Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated.  If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest issue of the Texas A&M University Student Rules, under the section "Scholastic Dishonesty."

Exam Schedule

Exam I - Fishes, Monday, February 13

Exam II - Amphibians & Reptiles, Wednesday, March 22

Exam III - Birds & Mammals, Wednesday, April 26

 ATTENDANCE POLICY

 Policies regarding absences from either lecture or lab, as well as all examinations, follow requirements presented in University Regulation 15.  No make-up examinations will be given without providing evidence to the instructor that substantiates the reason for any absence.  Only those excuses listed in University Regulations will be accepted, unless the instructor considers some other excuse to be deemed sufficient.  In addition, there will be no switching of lab sections without permission from the laboratory instructors.

THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

"The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.  Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities.  If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Office of Support for Students with Disabilities in Room 126 of the Student Services Building.  The telephone number is 845-1637."

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