ENV BIOL 2503 - Zoology II

This course will introduce you to the diversity of invertebrate and vertebrate animals that inhabit marine, freshwater terrestrial environments. Concepts of phylogeny will be introduced and the enormous diversity of animals will be examined in a phylogenetic framework. Major events in animal evolution will be provided with a strong focus on how animal form matches function at all levels. We will discuss the features of the major groups of invertebrates and focus on their origins and diversification. The biology of the vertebrates will follow groups from fishes to terrestrial vertebrates, including the amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. We will flavour these with interesting lectures on animal adaptations and some of the major evolutionary hurdles in vertebrate evolution. Topics in animal physiology relevant to both vertebrates and invertebrates will include the flow of energy through organisms, the process of respiration and the function of the nervous and sensory systems as well as functional morphology.