Biology 209 Vertebrate Zoology Fall 2013 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Neil Buckley.
Office: 221Hudson; phone: ext. 5165; E-mail: neil.buckley@plattsburgh.edu.
Class times:
Mondays and Fridays 10.00–10.50pm, Hudson 209.
Wednesdays 10.00-11.50. Hudson 228
Main Text: There is no required text for this class but Vertebrate Life, 8th Ed. by F.H.
Pough et al. (or an earlier edition) would be a good choice if you would like a supplement
to the class notes.
Office hours:
11.00-11.45 Mondays and Fridays
13.30-14.30 Wednesdays and Fridays
Other times by appointment, or if I am available.
Want to talk? You are always welcome to drop by my office to discuss the class and any
problems you might be having with the material. I am always available during office
hours and there is no need to make an appointment. Outside of office hours, I am happy
to meet with you, if I have time. However, I do have other commitments and occasionally
I will not be free to chat. Therefore, if you want to guarantee that I will be available to
talk with you outside of normal office hours, you should make an appointment.
Have a routine query? If you wish to get in touch with me and I am not in my office,
please use e-mail. It is definitely much more efficient than playing telephone tag. I will
respond to e-mail messages as quickly as I can, usually as soon as I receive them. A lot of
routine class material is posted on the class web page (see Class Web Page below), so if
you cannot find me, you may be able to find the answer to your question there.
Why study Vertebrate Zoology? This course is an excellent way to obtain a broad
understanding of the diversity of the vertebrates, the group to which humans belong. You
will be introduced to all of the major vertebrate classes and the non-vertebrate chordates
and become familiar with their essential characteristics and evolutionary histories. In
addition, the study of particular groups will allow us to explore more general issues in
biology and examine major ideas and transitions in the field.
A note on spelling standards. This is a class in which we will encounter many scientific
names. As a biologist you need to be able to spell these correctly. Consequently, I will
deduct 0.1 points for each misspelled scientific name or term on exams and writing
assignments. Non-science spelling errors, while frowned upon, will not result in point
deductions.
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Learning objectives
Students will:
Learn the defining characteristics of major vertebrate groups.
Learn the classification of living vertebrate groups and the evolutionary
relationships between them
Become familiar with the evolutionary history of the vertebrates and be able to
identify major events in that history.
Develop a sound understanding of the anatomy of vertebrates and the
relationship between form and function.
Understand vertebrate physiology and how vertebrates carry out basic life
processes
Understand the process of evolution by natural selection
Understand fundamental ecological processes and how they influence the
abundance and diversity of life
Develop an understanding of modern classification, cladistics and phylogenetics.
Class web page. There is a Vertebrate Zoology class web page located on my faculty
home page. You can obtain access to the page in several ways:
1. Go to the main SUNY Plattsburgh page http://www.plattsburgh.edu and at the top of the
page click on current students. Then on the left hand side under Resources click on
Faculty web pages. Then click on my name Buckley, Neil to go to my home page. There
click on Vertebrate Zoology.
2. Alternatively you can get to my home page through the Department of Biological
Sciences home page http://www2.plattsburgh.edu/biology/ From there on the left hand side
under Biological Science Programs click on Faculty and then click on my page and
follow the appropriate links.
Lecture Notes and Attendance. A large amount of material related to the class is posted
on the class web page. This material includes routine announcements, assignments, class
syllabus, lecture schedule, readings, etc. I also make lecture notes available on the web.
Notes are intended to be a supplementary aid to learning. They are provided so that you
can check the material we covered in class or, if you have missed a class, find out what
material was covered. As you are an adult and can take responsibility for your actions I
do not require you to attend class, nor do I take attendance. However, routinely missing
class and attempting to study exclusively from the posted material is a very bad idea. If
you want to understand what is going on in class you should attend lectures.
Classroom approach and teaching philosophy: It is my aim in teaching this class to be
approachable and receptive to questions. If you have a question, please ask. I am happy
to answer questions at any time in class. Remember that the only silly question is the one
you don’t ask. Also, if at any time in class you are having difficulty hearing me, or
reading something, or are having any other difficulties with how I’m teaching, please tell
me. I’m not going to get offended. It doesn’t do either of us any good if you wait until
the end of the semester to tell me in evaluations that you couldn’t read my handwriting!
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Grading: The course will be graded based on the standard scale of A = 90-100%; B =
80-89.9%: C = 70-79.9%; D = 60-69.9%; E < 59.9%. Minus/plus grades will be assigned
at <3.0 and 6.9. University policy is that there are no A+ or D- grades.
Breakdown of grading.
Three midterm exams
Dissections
In-class supplementary reading and written assignments
Comprehensive final exam
Lab Final
Total
75 points each
60 points
75 points
110 points
30 points
_________
500 points
Midterm exams: Three. Each worth 70 pts. Each exam will have a mixed format that
will include short-answer, fill-in the blank and a number of essay questions.
Midterm exam dates: September 25th, October 23rd, November 20th.
Writing assignments relating to supplementary reading: This semester we will use
some class time to discuss supplemental scientific papers and other writings. There will
be a short graded writing assignment in class followed by discussion. You may consult
written notes you have made on the supplemental reading, but may not refer to the
assigned reading itself while answering questions.
Comprehensive Final Exam: 110 pts. Final exam week begins Saturday December 7th.
Date and time of final TBA.
Lab Final: 30 points. December 4th.
Absences from exams/delay in handing in work -- I will be happy to make alternative
arrangements to provide alternative exams or accept late work if you have a legitimate
excuse. Legitimate excuses include: a documented family emergency, an illness or
accident to you, or participation in a University sponsored scheduled activity (e.g.
membership of a University team). Please inform me in advance in the event of a nonemergency excuse. In the event of an emergency, please let me know as soon as possible
thereafter.
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College Policies
SUNY Plattsburgh Honor Code Statement
“It is expected that all students enrolled in this class support the letter and the spirit of the Academic
Honesty Policy as stated in the college catalog.”
College policy on accommodations
It is the policy of the College that any student requiring accommodations of any kind to
fully access this course must be registered for accommodations with the Student Support
Services office located in the Angell College Center. If you have a disabling condition
you must register with Student Support Services (564-2810) before requesting
accommodations.
Departmental policies
Two policies of the Department of Biological Sciences are directly relevant to this
course.
Assessment of Student Learning: Analytical skill development
and understanding of fundamental biological principles
The faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences are committed to providing
students with a first-rate educational experience as articulated in the Departmental
Mission Statement:
“The Department of Biological Sciences strives to provide students with the
fundamental understanding of the principles and methods of the life sciences within the
context of a sound liberal arts education. Emphasis is on the development of the
student’s ability to analyze problems, apply scientific method, communicate biological
information, and interpret current advances in research.”
Student progress toward attaining the goals set forth in the Departmental Mission
Statement will be assessed in part by an exam or quiz question that has been selected for
this purpose by the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences.
Writing Standards for Department of Biological Sciences
It is the position of the Department of Biological Sciences at Plattsburgh State that all
students must learn to write in a clear and intelligent manner. We recognize that this goal
cannot be achieved by depending only on the efforts of others to foster good writing. We
further believe that the general quality of student writing will not improve unless we as a
department are willing to state explicitly the standards we expect students to meet and to
enforce those standards. Therefore, in courses taught by the Department of Biological
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Sciences, in addition to grading the content of written assignments, all faculty will also
grade assignments for writing.
E: Unacceptable. The student will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. The
student is advised to withdraw and take a remedial writing course before attempting
the course again.
D: The writing is not at the minimal level generally expected for college students, but
improvement appears possible.
C: Poorly organized or with an excessive number of errors in grammar, spelling, or
syntax, even after making allowances for circumstances such as time available.
B: Acceptable in organization, grammar, spelling, and syntax after making allowances
for circumstances such as time available.
A: Clearly and correctly written.
Summary of important dates
August 26th
September 25th
October 14th
October 16th
October 23rd
November 1st
November 20th
November 27th-29th
December 4th
December 6th
December 7th-13th
December 18th
First day of class
Exam 1
No classes (Columbus Day)
Midterm grades due
Exam 2
Last day for unrestricted withdrawals
Exam 3
No classes (Thanksgiving)
Lab Final
Last class
Final Exam week
Final grades due
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