ZOO 4343C                                                                      AUTUMN 1998

BIOLOGY OF THE LOWER VERTEBRATES

   I.  BACKGROUND: THE EVOLUTION OF ECTOTHERMIC VERTEBRATES

A. Chordates and Vertebrates

B. Evolutionary Origins, Diversification, and Remnants

1. Radiation of the Fishes

2. Origin and Radiation of Tetrapods

A. Functional Morphology

1. Skulls: Development and Diversification

2. The Physics of Jumping for a Living

3. Limbless Locomotion in Water and on Land

B. The Well-Tempered Organs

1. Skin and Water

2. Kidneys and Water

C. Clever Solutions to Environmental Challenges

1. Osmoregulation

2. Respiration

3. Heat and Cold

 III. INTERACTIONS AMONG INDIVIDUALS

A. Sensory Perception

1. Sound and Pressure

2. Electricity and Heat

B. Predator, Prey, and Other Food Habits

1. Trophic Diversification in Fishes

2. Antipredator Adaptations in Morphology and Behavior

C. The Social Amenities

1. Mate Choice in Amphibians

2. Sex Determination and the Evolution of Sex Allocation

IV.  ECTOTHERMIC VERTEBRATES AND ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES

A. Energy Transfer and Terrestrial Ecosystems

B. Fisheries

1. The Effects of Open Harvesting

2. Stock Enhancement and Other Well-Intentioned Management Ideas

ZOO 4343C                                                                       AUTUMN 1998

BIOLOGY OF THE LOWER VERTEBRATES: SCHEDULES, PERSONNEL, OBJECTIVES, GRADING

TIME:     Tuesdays 1230-1700 (more or less)

PLACE:    Conradi Building, Room 117 and north Florida

TEXT:     Fishes: An Introduction To Ichthyology: Moyle and Cech, 3rd ed.

Other reading from the scientific literature to be assigned

PERSONNEL:   Joseph Travis, 210 BRF; Office Hours: Mondays 1400-1600

Phone:       644-5434

OBJECTIVES:  1. Survey the biology of fishes, amphibians, and              reptiles;

2. Examine how the morphology, physiology, and behavior of these animals have been molded as evolutionary responses to environmental challenges;

3. Understand the basic ecology of these animals;

4. Learn to identify the local fishes, amphibians, and reptiles to the species (freshwater fishes, amphibians, reptiles) or family level (marine fishes);

5. Appreciate the zoogeography of the local fauna;

6. Acquire experience with various scientific methods and techniques, including reading scientific literature, performing library research and writing a scientific paper.

GRADES: Based on cumulative percentage of possible points through six (6) measures (three hourly exams, one thesis paper, one lab report (which includes results of all lab exercises), and one lab practical exam; each counts equally).

A : > 90% of possible points

B : 80-89% of possible points

C : 70-79% of possible points

D : 60-69% of possible points

F : < 59% of possible points

I reserve the right to lower the standards (e.g. 85% for A) if in my judgment some measures were too difficult. I also reserve the right to be merciful in individual cases with extenuating circumstances. Any merciful gesture to one student will not affect anyone else's grade because you are not being graded on a "curve" or other standardized methods.

SCHEDULE:    1 September: First field trip

1 October: First exam (material covered up through 9/24

5 November: Second exam (material from 9/29 to 10/30)

16 November: Thesis paper due

3 December: Lab practical after final lecture

10 December (Thursday): Third exam (1500-1700 as set by university; material from 11/3 to 12/3)

ZOO 4343C                                                                                  AUTUMN 1998

BIOLOGY OF THE LOWER VERTEBRATES: POLICIES

WHAT THE EXAMS COVER

The three hour-long examinations will be short-answer essays that cover lecture material and assigned readings during the designated period for each examination. The third examination will not be cumulative but will cover only the material not covered by the first two examinations.

I will provide three sets of review questions that cover the material designated for each of the three examinations. These questions are typical essay questions and, in fact, I usually draw about half of the examination directly from these review questions. I will also provide you with a "guide to answering essay questions"; if you can't read it when I send it you may retrieve it from my home page (http://www.fsu.edu/~biology/faculty/travis/travis.html).

The lab practical will cover what you were supposed to learn through the field trips as well as your knowledge of animal identification (which you must practice and learn on your own as well). You are expected to recognize a freshwater fish to the level of family on sight and be able to key out a freshwater fish to the species level (with the exception of minnows). You are expected to be able to key out a marine fish to the family level; estuarine fish we catch with a dip-net or seine are considered "freshwater" for examination purposes. I will provide you with a guide to identifying the freshwater fishes or you may retrieve it from my home page at the address given above. I will discuss the types of questions that will be on the practical exam in class.

WHAT THE THESIS PAPER OUGHT TO BE

The thesis paper is a library research project. The final product ought to be from 6-8 double spaced, typewritten pages that is based on your reading of original scientific literature. I will send you a separate document that covers the paper in more detail (or you may retrieve it from my home page at the address given above). Samples of excellent papers from the past (grades of A or A-) will be placed on reserve in the classroom so you can see what I expect from you. IMPORTANT WARNING: The paper is supposed to be written expressly for this class, and papers that you write for this class ought not to be considered as fulfilling a similar assignment in another class. I consider the practice of writing one paper and submitting it in two separate classes to constitute fraud; if I learn that you have done this I will assign you a grade of zero for your paper in this class.

IMPORTANT POLICIES: READ CAREFULLY

1. I expect you to be familiar with and adhere to the university's academic honor code as described in the FSU Student Handbook. Any claim of ignorance of the honor code is unacceptable.

2. If you must miss a scheduled examination you must notify me no later than one week before the examination. When you notify me we will schedule a make-up examination for you. If you miss a scheduled examination due to illness or unanticipated circumstances you must bring a doctor's note to verify the illness or other documentation for other circumstances. When you present that material to me, we will schedule a make-up examination for you. If there are other circumstances that create a problem for you in taking an examination on the scheduled day, please talk to me about them.

3. If you wish to be excused from class or a field trip or an examination to observe a religious holy day in your faith, please notify me in advance so that we can arrange for you to make up the work you will miss.

4. Students with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations should bring me a letter from the Student Disability Resource Center that describes their disability and needs so that we can arrange any reasonable accommodations that are possible.

5. Please notify me if you need these documents provided in an alternative format.