ENV BIOL 2503 - Zoology II

The course begins with the relationship between structure and function. Concepts of phylogeny will be introduced and the enormous diversity of animals will be examined in a phylogenetic framework. The major event in animal evolution as demonstrated by adaptations to parasitism, the marine environment and life on land will be provided. The section on invertebrate diversity will be concluded with a state-of-the-art lecture on the extraordinary discoveries that are currently being made of new species and even new groups and how scientists determine where they fit in the tree of life. 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 muscle function.