| CODE | BIO1020 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Diversity of Life: Animals | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Biology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | A survey of the main types of animal life on Earth stressing evolutionary relationships, functional design, and adaptations to the environment. Emphasis will be made on those groups represented in the Maltese Islands. The study-unit consists of two parts: Part 1 introduces evolutionary concepts and the principles underlying modern zoological classification; Part 2 surveys the diversity of animal organisms (kingdom: Animalia). Part 1: Introduction to the diversity of life - The numbers of organisms - Evolution as the driving force behind diversity - The concept of species - Modern zoological classification Part 2: The diversity of animal organisms - Zoological diversity: general principles; major divisions of the kingdom ANIMALIA - Parazoa phylum PORIFERA: characteristics - Radiata phylum CNIDARIA: characteristics; mode of life - Bilateria Acoelomata phylum PLATYHELMINTHES: characteristics of the free-living flatworms (Turbellaria) and parasitic flatworms (Trematoda and Cestoda) - Bilateria Pseudocoelomata: introduction to the pseudocoelomate phylaphylum NEMATODA: characteristics phylum ROTIFERA: characteristics - Bilateria Coelomata Prostomia phylum ANNELIDA: characteristics; mode of life of polychaetes, oligochaetes and hirudinians phylum MOLLUSCA: characteristics; modifications of the basic molluscan structure in Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Cephalopoda superphylum ARTHROPODA: the arthropod grade of organization; the main arthropod groups; arthropod phylogeny; general characteristics of arthropods phylum BRYOZOA: introduction to the lophophorate phyla and characteristics of the Bryozoa - Bilateria Coelomata, Deuterostomia: introduction to the deuterostome phyla phylum ECHINODERMATA: characteristics; mode of life of crinoids, asteroids, ophiuroids, echinoids and holothurians phylum HEMICHORDATA: characteristics phylum CHORDATA: characteristics; the main chordate groups Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims at introducing students to the main types of animal life on Earth stressing evolutionary relationships, functional design, and adaptations to the environment. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Develop knowledge and awareness of the evolutionary processes that result in the formation of new species. - Appreciate the different concepts ‘species’. - Become familiar with the classification, systematics and taxonomy of the Kingdom Animalia. - Acquire knowledge and familiarity with the major animal phyla, their evolution and phylogenetic relationships, their key characteristics, the variety within each group, and their form and function with particular reference to their adaptations to the environments they live in. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Enumerate the key characteristics that distinguish the main groups of animal and therefore classify unknown animals in their correct main taxonomic group. - Identify and interpret specimens of typical members of the major animal groups discussed in lectures and in the laboratory. - Apply practical observational skills to the investigation of biological specimens. - Evaluation and synthesise scientific information. - Communicate scientific information in the form of annotated biological drawings. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Basic Course Texts - HICKMAN, CP; ROBERTS, LS; KEEN, SL; LARSON, A & EISENHOUR, DJ (2009) Animal diversity. [5th ed.] McGraw Hill. - BARNES, RSK; CALOW, P; OLIVE, PJW; GOLDING, DW & SPICER, J. (2001) The invertebrates: a new synthesis. [3rd ed.] Blackwell Scientific. [An excellent synthetic treatment of the invertebrates, however, if you use this book you will need an additional source to cover the vertebrates] Supplementary Reading - BUCHSBAUM, R; BUCHSBAUM, M; PEARSE J & PEARSE, P (1987) Animals without backbones. [3rd ed.] University of Chicago Press. [A rather basic introduction but useful if your pre-university course was not strong on invertebrate systematics] - HICKMAN, CP; ROBERTS, LS; KEEN, SL; LARSON, A; L’ANSON, H. & EISENHOUR, DJ (2010) Integrated principles of zoology. [15th ed] McGraw Hill. - MARGULIS, L (2009) Kingdoms and Domains: an illustrated guide to the phyla of life on earth. [4th ed.] Academic Press. [Revised edition of the author's classic ‘Five Kingdoms’] - ROSE, MR & MUELLER, LD (2006) Evolution and ecology of the organism. Pearson Prentice Hall. [This text integrates evolution with ecology and is a very useful text for Part 1 of the present study unit as well as for other units in the course on ecology and evolution] For Practicals - WALLACE, R. & TAYLOR, W (2002) Invertebrate zoology lab manual. [6th ed.] Pearson Educational. |
||||||||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Offered to B.Sc. (Hons) Biology and Chemistry. Pre-requisite Qualifications: A-level Biology or equivalent. Important note: The study-unit includes an integrated programme of practical work (approximately 18 hours) covering the topics discussed in lectures. The aim is to provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with a range of different animal life forms as well as to help them acquire the necessary observational and reporting skills. Students will be required to write regular practical reports, which will be graded. Please note that a pass in the Practical component is obligatory for an overall pass mark to be awarded. Students are to note that they will be allowed to sit for examination component of this study-unit and will be awarded a grade only if they have regularly attended lectures and practical classes, if they have submitted any assignments, including practical reports and if they satisfy all other study-unit requirements. Furthermore, students are informed that regular attendance for lectures is obligatory. A grade may be awarded to a particular study-unit only if a student's attendance for lectures and practical sessions has been regular. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Practical | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Patrick J. Schembri |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||