BSC 400/500
Vertebrate Functional Morphology
PROFESSOR: Dr. Stephen Secor
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 420 Biology
Telephone: 348-1809
Email: ssecor@biology.as.ua.edu
OFFICE HOURS: T, Th 12:30 - 1:30, and by appointment
TEACHING ASSISTANT: David Hall
REQUIRED TEXT:
De Luliis G & D. Pulerà. The Dissection of Vertebrates (for lab)
Kardong, K. 2006. Vertebrates, Comparative Anatomy, Function, and Evolution, 3 rd or 4th ed.
PREREQUISITES: BSC 114/115 or BSC 118; BSC 116/117 or BSC 120; BSC 300 and junior standing.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course covers the comparative anatomy of animals, primarily vertebrates, with emphasis on functional aspects
of morphology. The laboratory deals mainly with identifying anatomical features of several vertebrate species.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this course is to gain an understanding of the comparative anatomy of vertebrates and the
evolutionary changes and trends in vertebrate morphology. Also, students will become familiar with the relationship between
form and function, and how these two features have co-evolved with the evolution of the vertebrates. In the laboratory
segment of this course you will become familiar with the basic anatomy of vertebrates, with an emphasis on the shark,
salamander, snake, and cat.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of this course student will have been instructed on the comparative development, form, and
function of the vertebrate body, including:
1)
The evolutionary development of vertebrates and current phylogeny
2)
The embryonic development of vertebrates.
3)
The different integumental structures of vertebrates.
4)
The evolutionary transition of the skeletal system.
5)
Mechanisms of muscle function and their use in locomotion and biomechanics.
6)
The evolution of the vertebrate respiratory and circulation systems.
7)
Feeding mechanisms and digestive structure and physiology.
8)
Comparative aspects of the urogenital system for vertebrates.
9)
Basic mechanisms of neural physiology and different special senses of vertebrates.
10)
Comparative endocrinology of vertebrates.
ATTENDANCE:
You are expected to attend all lectures. Exam questions will be drawn entirely from lecture material. Plus, you will
be responsible for all announcements made in lecture.
TENATIVE SCHEDULE: subject to change if necessary.
Week
1
Date
Lecture Topic
Aug. 20
Greetings, class business, introduction, concepts & themes
Student presentation
Book chapters
1
2
25
27
3
Sept. 1
3
4
8
10
Vertebrate phylogeny and origin
Vertebrate systematics
2
3
Vertebrate systematics
Integument
Tuatara - living fossil
Horns vs. antlers
Skeletal tissue and skull
Broken bone repair
Skeletal tissue and skull/ Axial skeleton
1
3
6
7
7
5
15
17
Axial skeleton
Appendicular skeleton
6
22
24
Review
No class
29
1
Muscles
Muscles
7
Oct.
Turtle shell – removable?
Python hips
Exam 1 (6:00 – 8:00)
8
9
10
10
Slow vs. fast twitch
10
4
8
6
8
9
13
15
Respiratory systems
Respiratory/Circulatory systems
Fish lungs
10
20
22
Circulatory system
Feeding
Alligator’s left aorta
Canine carnassials
11
27
29
Review
Exam 2 (6:00 – 8:00)
Feeding/ Digestion
13
13
12
Nov. 3
5
Digestion
Digestion (DVD)
13
13
13
Locomotion (video)
Biomechanics
Pterosaur flying
Cheetah running
Fermenting fowl
Cottontail coprophagy
4
11
11/12
12
12
10
12
Urogenital system
Urogenital system
14
17
19
Nervous system/ Special senses
Special senses
Seeing in the dark
Serpent tongue flicking
16
17
15
24
25
Endocrinology
Diabetes and lizard spit
15
16
Dec. 1
3
17
9
K-rat kidneys
Salt glands
14
14
Thanksgiving – no class
Morphological adaptations
Graduate student presentations
High flying birds
FINAL
BSC 500 STUDENTS:
Students enrolled in BSC 500 will in addition give a 20-30 min presentation at the end of the semester on a subject
matter relating to functional morphology. Topics must be first approved by the instructor.
EXAMINATIONS:
Two exams during the semester are tentatively scheduled for the following dates:
Exam 1 on Tuesday, September 22 (covers lectures of Aug. 20 to Sept. 22)
Exam 2 on Tuesday, October 27 (covers lectures of Sept. 29 to Oct. 27)
The final is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9 at 8 am
GRADING:
BSC
Points available
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final
Lecture
presentation
Lab
Total points
400
500
100
150
200
100
150
200
50
300
150
300
800
900
Policy on missed exams:
If you miss one exam (not including the final) for a valid, documented reason (medical, family emergency, official
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university function), I will prorate the points for that missed exam based on the score of your other exam and final.
FINAL COURSE GRADE:
At the end of the semester, final grades will be assigned based upon: 1) percentage scale (90-100% - A, 80 - 89% B, etc.), 2) grading curve that reflects the distribution of total points, and 3) breaks in the ranking of total points.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS:
Students registered with the Office of Disability Services should consult with Dr. Secor as soon as possible to
discuss necessary course accommodations. We will make every effort to accommodate special needs. If you believe you
have a disability and have not contacted the Office of Disability Services, please do so as soon as possible at 348-4285.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT:
All acts of dishonesty in any work in this course constitute academic misconduct. This includes cheating on exams
or assignments, plagiarism, fabrication of information, misrepresentations, and abetting any of the above. The Academic
Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event that academic misconduct occurs. Student should refer to the
Student Affairs Handbook which can be obtained in the Office of Student Life and Services or online from the same office. As
a student in this course, this statement means that all words on all exams must be your own.
COURSE W ITHDRAW :
The last day to withdraw from this course is October 28. If you feel that you need to withdraw from this class, please
speak to me prior to doing so.
Laboratory
Textbook: De Luliss and Pulera. The Dissection of Vertebrates .
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Date
Aug 25 & 27
Sept 1 & 3
Sept 9 & 10
Sept 15 & 17
Sept 22 & 24
Sept 29 & Oct 1
Oct 6 & 8
Oct 13 & 15
Oct 20 & 22
Oct 27 & 29
Nov 3 & 5
Nov 10 & 12
Nov 17 & 19
Nov 24 & 26
Dec 1 & 3
Material
Terms, Protochordate, Amphioxus
External morphology
Skeletal system
Exam #1
Muscular system
Circulatory system
Circulatory and lymphatic systems
Digestive and respiratory systems
Exam #2
Urogenital system
Sense organs and endocrine systems
Nervous system of the shark and cat
Thanksgiving Break (No Labs)
Review
Exam #3
COURSE OBJECTIVES
To gain an understanding of the comparative anatomy of vertebrates and evolutionary changes and trends in
vertebrate morphology, with an emphasis placed upon the shark, mudpuppy, and cat.
EXAMINATIONS
Three exams will be given throughout the semester, each worth 100 points. The total points earned out of 300 will
be added to the lecture point total for your final grade.
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