VERTEBRATE NATURAL HISTORY
BIOL 308 - 309
Fall 2011
Instructor: Dr. Carlos A. Iudica
Office: 210 B Darwin’s Hall (NSB)
Lab:
217 Darwin’s Hall (NSB)
Office Hours: Mondays & Fridays 1:30 – 3:00, whenever the door is open, or by appointment
Office Phone: 372-4208
Research Lab Phone: 372-2846
Email: casaiud@susqu.edu
Meeting Time: Lecture: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 09:00
– 09:50;
Lab: Wednesday 01:00
– 04:00 (BUT very flexible, see Course Schedule)
Location – Lectures and Labs: New Science Building 223
Website: http://comenius.susqu.edu/biol/412/WEBSITE/vertmain.htm
Course Description
This course deals with the taxonomy, natural history and ecology of vertebrates.
Lectures provide a general introduction to the vertebrates, and emphasizes on the evolutionary history, classification, and ecology of vertebrates in general.
Through the different laboratories you will be introduce to field and laboratory techniques of identifying Pennsylvania vertebrates, specimen handling, dissection and preparation, and field sign recognition. Let us start!
Course Goals
By the end of the semester, you should….
- Have the ability to recognize most common vertebrates (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) found in central Pennsylvania and have a general understanding of their life histories, distribution, and habitat requirements
- Become familiar with the science of taxonomy, general field collection and identification methods, and appropriate handling, husbandry and preparation techniques
- Understand why we think birds are reptiles (or more precisely, well-adapted, small dinosaurian)
Develop oral and written communication skills as well as increase your ability to work in teams
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Performance Standards and Course Competencies
Subject matter will be covered in class and in reading assignments from textbook and other sources. Writing assignments and/or oral presentations will be used to improve your communication skills. Specimens handling, preparation, dissection, and identification will be part of your assignments and will stimulate you to develop skills no other course will. Scheduled exams or surprise quizzes will be used to assess completion of reading assignments and to monitor attendance and participation, so your attendance will be critical to your gaining an understanding of the course. In addition, you are, of course, responsible for all material presented in both labs and lectures.
Required Texts & Field Supplies
Lecture Text: Linzey, D. W. 2001. Vertebrate Biology . First Edition, McGraw
Hill.
** Handouts and preparation guides may be available on the course’s website and you are expected to download them and bring them to the particular lab **
Laboratory texts: A series of field guides will be required (at least one per team) as references for completion of the laboratory and to support the lecture. The following are suggested but there are alternatives that you may prefer, like, or already have.
The idea is to have field guides for every major vertebrate group
(fish, herps –amphibians and reptiles-, birds, and mammals)
Fish: Page, L. W., and B. M. Burr. 1991. The Peterson field guide series No.
42: Freshwater fishes. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
Herps: Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. The Peterson field guide series No.
12: Reptiles and amphibians: Eastern/Central North America. Houghton Mifflin
Co., Boston.
Birds: Robbins, C. S., B. Bruun, and H. S. Zim. 2001. A guide to field identification: Birds of North America. Golden Press, NY.
Mammals: Reid, F. A. 2006. The Peterson field guide series No. 5: A field guide to the mammals of America north of Mexico. Fourth Edition. Houghton
Mifflin Co., Boston.
Field equipment: A good pair of binoculars for use in the field is strongly recommended - this is something you can use for many years following this
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class. A digital camera will be useful in documenting your field notes as well. If you have a valid-current PA fishing license bring it to each lab. A minimum of one of each item (lab texts and field equipment) for every team is required.
** Appropriate footwear and long pants must be worn for all outdoor activities - we WILL be tromping through swampy habitats and/or poison Ivy ***
Be ALWAYS prepared!!!
Supplemental Reading Material
From time to time, you may have material to read on E-Res
( http://www.susqu.edu/library/eres ). I will let you know when you need to read the material on e-res.
Other Resources
This course has a website
( http://www.susqu.edu/FacStaff/i/casaiud/default.htm
), which includes links to course materials and to other resources relevant to the course. Additional readings from the website and other sources could (and may) be assigned occasionally.
**NOTICE**
**Any changes or modifications to course content or information will be posted on the course web page and it is YOUR responsibility to be up to date. Visit this site periodically ( like once every week )**
Small Groups: One of the activities during our first lab will be to create working groups. During our class on August 31, the class will organize itself into groups or teams of two students. Each team will name itself and present itself to the rest of the class. The teams will be the units which will work together during the rest of the semester’s activities (field work and lab reports).
Indeed, the production of each of the projects that call for teamwork will be based on a collective group effort. Please, choose your teammate carefully; you will not be allowed to change teams throughout the semester.
Major Course Requirements
Lectures: Each lecture is intended to provide an overview of the topic, rather than an exhaustive discussion. If you need a more balanced and in-depth treatment of each topic you should go back to your text book and look at the end of each chapter, on the “Supplemental Reading” section. Lecture notes will be posted on the course web page under "lecture notes" only after we finished with the corresponding chapter. Remember that the information offered on the lectures’ web site is provided only to fill in gaps you may have in your notes. It is
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not at all a substitute for attending a lecture. You are expected to be prepared and to participate in all class activities.
Laboratory: The lab activities will be based on frequent field trips, for observation and specimen collection that will be followed by exercises in identification, specimen preparation, and museum techniques to illustrate and augment the concepts and content of the lecture.
You may want to bring a notebook to keep data and notes, waterproof pen or simply a pencil, a good pair of scissors, and a digital camera (at least, one per group). Please be aware that most labs will be outside (rain or shine).
Therefore, dress appropriately with long pants and grubby shoes. We may need to work in areas with thorny plants and lots of mud. Be prepared!
Active participation by students in laboratories is expected. My ability to provide extensive field experiences is based upon students acting responsibly and in a spirit of cooperation. Irresponsible behavior and/or blatant disregard for safety are grounds for dismissal from the course. Each group will be responsible for producing four (4) lab reports (Fish, Herps, Birds, and Mammals). All lab reports will amount to a total of 600 points (60% of your final grade for BIOL 309).
Lab Reports: During your labs you will be required to take notes on the activities you and your group are performing. The more notes you take during a lab, the more material you will have to generate your lab reports. In most cases, the lab activities will involve field trips and therefore, your field log will include a
“trapping or observation report”, names of animals, pictures you or somebody else takes, weather conditions, etc. In general, try to answer the following questions when working on your lab report:
-what we did?
-how we did it?
-where and when we did it?
-why we did what we did?
-what we found?
-how we found it and what it means?
-what is next?
All organisms mentioned on the lab report should have common and scientific names (including authority and year). For this and for any written work you produce for this course, only scientific names will be in italics. Add to this basic
“enumeration of events” the current family name, distributional data, biogeographical, ecological and conservation information for each species. Use the report to “force” yourself to “dig” information from the library. No web sources!
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For help on this and for any other written assignment you should check also the
Writing Center at SU Tutorial Services, which is part of SU Library. For your
“Reference” or “Literature Cited” section (if needed, not exclusive of Lab
Reports)), please use the style of the Journal of Mammalogy. On every work you produce, you have to provide common names and scientific names, authority (at least once) and a basic taxonomy/classification with its source. Each group will send me an e-mail to let me know that you submitted a copy of your complete lab report to Hopper/Vertebrates/2011 on time. Also, remember to submit an electronic copy (no figures, just text) to http://www.turnitin.com
by or before the corresponding due dates (see Course Schedule). Please, include the names of members of the group and the title on each report. Name the reports ONLY using your last names!!! Sorry, but no late lab reports will be accepted ever.
An Important Note About Museum/Collection Specimens : Many of the specimens that you will be using for species identification exercises in the lab are fragile, difficult and expensive to replace (if replaceable at all) and are, consequently, quite valuable. It is extremely important that you treat museum/collection specimens with care and respect to ensure that the specimens will be available to future classes. Please be advised that I have very strong feelings about proper care of museum specimens.
Hopper: For every assignment you or your team is responsible, you will send me an e-mail to let me know that you already uploaded a copy of your work to
Hopper\Vertebrates\2011. To link your computer to Hopper (a server at SU) follow the instructions on the course’ website (DRIVE).
Make sure that you name your files using your last name ONLY and place it on the proper folder inside \2011. Once your work is reviewed, I will add “REV” at the end of the file name. It is your responsibility to let me know that your work is in Hopper on time (via e-mail). If you have any problem, contact Brady Gallese at Gallese@susqu.edu
.
Turn it in dot com : As a general rule, every assignment will have to be submitted to Hopper\Vertebrates/2011 by or before the end of the day on the respective due date. You will also be required to submit an electronic copy (text only) of your assignment to www.turnitin.com
by or before the end of the day on the respective due date. The first time you get to turnitin.com you will be required to register. Be prepared and plan ahead. For students to enroll in turnitin.com’s class site, you will need both, the enrollment password: vertebrate11 (which is case sensitive) and the unique class ID: 4142914 . Sorry, no late papers will be accepted at this site. If you do not upload a copy of your assignment into Turnitin.com on time, your final grade for that assignment will be reduced to 50%. The same goes if you do not upload a copy of an assignment on time into Hopper.
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Natural History Paper: It is impossible to cover all aspects of vertebrate diversity in a single semester course; there is, quite simply, too much information. In particular, the vast diversity of lifestyles among vertebrates precludes in-depth coverage of the natural history of any taxon. Furthermore, because each student may have a favorite species that she/he might be looking forward to learn about in Vertebrate Natural History it is futile to try to satisfy the interests of any fraction of the students. So, here is the opportunity to do it yourself! You can become an expert in the biology of your favorite vertebrate species (unless was taken by somebody else already).
You will write a paper on the natural history of a vertebrate species of your choice. You must submit a proposal with the common and scientific name of the species (including the authority) to me by Monday, September 12 . Look at the course website (Natural History Papers) for the list of species already done. On our second lab class we will go to the library and you should do a literature search on candidate species. With that information, you will be able to make a final decision. Each student must write on a different species. I may reject a proposed species because:
1- it has already been assigned to another student,
2- the name of a group not a species is submitted,
3- proposals for too many closely related species have already been accepted, or
4- I doubt there is enough information on the species to write a good paper.
This is on a “first come – first serve basis”; therefore you should submit your proposal as soon as you can. However, if you plan to submit a name on the last day, submit several names or risk suffering the late penalty each day until you submit an acceptable proposal. Your proposal should be an e-mail to me stating the names (scientific and common) using the authority. This assignment will be divided into three "installments", each due at a different date (see course schedule on Syllabus). Sections one and two should be at least three but not more than five pages long (bibliography, figures, tables, graphs, and other display items do not count towards the length of the paper; if you decide to include any of these, they should be presented in separate pages after the bibliography section). The third installment is a revised version that must incorporate feedback and corrections provided by me on sections one and two.
This section (3) should not show any of the corrections/suggestion from previous versions. This paper must be written in proper English, using correct spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphs. Use the most recent information published for your species of choice. There will be a ten-point per day penalty for late submission of either the proposal or each one of the sections of the paper.
Coverage of the paper: You should select a species for which there is enough information to write a reasonably comprehensive natural history paper, but be aware that the same kinds and amounts of information are not available for all
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species. Be critical when choosing your sources, and remember that I will not accept any web based source. Your paper should be divided into the two sections listed below. Each section is due at a different date during the semester.
Section 1 : Description and Systematics (due Monday, October 10; one copy to
\\Hopper\Vertebrates\2011, and another copy (text only) to www.turnitin.com
by the end of the day on the respective due date).
1. Physical description: Who and when described and named this species? What is the meaning of its name? Provide the original reference and, find the location of the type specimens. Give a physical description of your species using the terminology customarily applied to morphology of the group in the biological literature, including dental formula, external dimensions, etc. However, you can shorten the description by stating the major group to which your species belongs.
For example, if you say your species is a placental mammal, you need not say, for example, that it has hair, produces live young, and has mammary glands.
Include appropriate measures of size (metric units), general body form, color, and skin structure and texture. Note whether its coloration and other features render it cryptic or conspicuous in its normal habitat. Note unusual external or internal features.
2. Systematics and paleontology: Discuss the phylogenetic relationships of your species. To what higher taxa does it belong, and what are its closest relatives?
Present one or more phylogenetic trees always citing the sources. What taxonomic characters are used to distinguish this species from related species and to classify species in the higher taxon to which the species belongs?
(Although this information should be included here, minimize redundancy with the physical description). It is unlikely that the species you select has a fossil record, but if it does, summarize that info here. Whether or not the species itself has a fossil record, it may be informative to discuss the fossil record of the group to which your species belongs. Summarize the temporal and spatial distribution in the fossil record of the species or higher taxon to which your species belongs.
Information on systematics and paleontology will differ greatly among species. If there is controversy or uncertainty over your specie s relationships, let’s discuss it.
3. Geographical distribution: State where your species occurs using physical units (e.g., islands, peninsulas), geographical units (e.g., countries, states), and compass directions (e.g., northern, southern), as appropriate. Distinguish between the native and introduced distribution, if necessary. Indicate whether the distribution has increased or decreased in historical times and why. If it is known, discuss effects of the last glacial advance ("ice age") or climatic fluctuations on the distribution of your species. Discuss the geographical distribution of fossils
(here or above). Indicate whether there are reasons to be uncertain about its
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distribution. A description of the species geographical distribution is required, but may be combined with the ecological distribution.
Section 2 : Ecology and Physiology (due Monday, November 14; one copy to
\\Hopper\Vertebrates\2011, and another copy (text only) to www.turnitin.com
by the end of the day on the respective due date).
1. Ecological distribution: Describe environmental factors that limit the distribution of your species. What climate does this species experience, and does it have any specializations to tolerate the climate? What are its predators and parasites, and do they limit its range and distribution? In what habitats does the species occur? Characterize the species as aquatic, terrestrial, arboreal, fossorial, benthic, etc. Does it undertake seasonal migrations, and if it does, are those migrations between habitat types? Information on ecological distribution is required.
2. Habits: Describe the social, reproductive, parental, feeding, defense, and locomotory habits of your species. For lack of a better place, describe the reproductive biology of the species here (e.g., external fertilization, polygamous).
To what extent do its habits seem to be learned or heritable? You may have to describe some anatomy here if it has a clear relationship to habits (e.g., conspicuous color or structure may play a role in courtship behavior, etc.).
3. Sensory modalities: State which senses play a dominant role in your organism's biology. What are they used to detect and for what environmental conditions are they specialized? Note any extraordinary sensory abilities (e.g. navigation abilities in long-distance migratory species).
4. Physiology and Reproduction: General aspects of physiology should not be discussed. For example, we need not be told that your species uses its kidneys to produce urine, or that a mammalian species is an endotherm. However, some species have physiological properties that may require explanation (e.g. hibernation, aestivation), represent unusual specializations, or are exceptional for the higher taxon to which they belong (e.g., camels allow body temperature to fluctuate, some kangaroo rats never drink water, some fish elevate brain temperature above ambient, etc.).
5. Other properties: Many species will have other unusual features that are worth noting. For example, some salamanders are paedomorphic, some frogs are extremely poisonous, some fish emit electrical discharges, skunks protect themselves by releasing a repulsive odor, rattlesnakes make a warning sound, male deep sea anglerfish are parasitic on females, some guppy-like fish are allfemale clones, some birds help their parents raise their younger siblings, and some species engage in cannibalism and infanticide. Some species are the largest or smallest of their group, some occupy the most restricted habitat or they undertake the longest migration, others are long lived or have an unusually short generation time, etc. These and other interesting features may be worthy of note in existing sections or in a special section. Feel free to create a new heading.
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6. Conservation
Section 3 : At this stage, you will have received feedback and comments (in addition to a grade) on Sections 1 and 2 of your paper. You should now produce a final version incorporating these suggestions. A final, completed, and revised version of your paper (and a cover letter to the editor of the Journal of
Mammalogy) is due Monday, Dec. 5 (one copy to \\Hopper\Vertebrates\2011, and another copy (text only) to www.turnitin.com
by the end of the day on the respective due date).
This procedure constitutes the normal path that we routinely follow when we want to publish scientific papers (or any serious writing in general) conforming to peer-review criteria: a. a first draft is produced and usually circulated among friendly colleagues for feedback, suggestions, and comments; b. these suggestions are incorporated, as appropriate, into the next version of the paper; c. the paper is now submitted for publication to the editorial office of a scientific journal (each editorial office has strict formatting guidelines for manuscripts, such as length, presentation of figures and tables, literature citations, etc); d. the editor requests reviews from experts in the field (usually two or more) and decides to accept the paper for publication based on these reviews and his/her own assessment of the quality of the paper; e. if the paper is accepted for publication it may still need to be revised or modified according to suggestions made by the reviewers and the editor. f. The final, revised version is resubmitted to the editorial office for a final evaluation, accompanied of a cover letter explaining how this version has been improved by incorporating suggestions from reviewers and the editor (or why such suggestions were not followed). Please, when submitting this final version, do not forget your cover letter!
1. Therefore, for the final, revised, version of your paper you should follow suggestions offered by me, and "fix" deficiencies where noted, improve poorly developed sections, expand coverage of interesting topics that you may have missed before, polish your style, and improve the general presentation.
2. If you have not done so already, may now increase coverage of the primary literature to include recent findings about the biology of your species.
3. Write a cover letter (no longer than one page) explaining what the major changes have been and why you think your paper is much better now than in the previous version. You need to convince me ( a.k.a., "the editor") that your manuscript is now worthy of publication!
4. Please make sure that the previously reviewed and graded Sections 1 and 2 are in the proper folders in Hopper.
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Format: Your paper must follow the following format: double spaced except as noted below. Font size must be 10-12 pt (not too small, not too large, use common sense). Leave approximately 2.5 cm side, top and bottom margins, and number each page. Use only italics or underline scientific names of species (not higher taxa). Retain a copy of your paper for your records. Be consistent. Send me an e-mail to let me know that the ms is uploaded in Hopper. Name the ms with your last name.
Title: The title of your paper should read "The Natural History of ...(here write your species scientific name with the authority and the year of its first publication)
- Section x" at the top of the first page. Leave two blank double spaces and then add your name and date. Next, give the body of the paper with the contents described above for each section.
Bibliography: You must cite works in the text of your paper to support statements concerning unusual or controversial information. List the major works you consulted and selected shorter works (usually journal or magazine articles) that you drew upon for unusual or controversial points in the bibliography. You must list at least 12 works in your bibliography (with no specific maximum limit), including at least six articles published on the last two years (all from scholarly journals, not popular magazines or a website). Appropriate methods of citation, which you should follow carefully, are listed below. Consult a recent issue of the
Journal of Mammalogy (or look up the author instructions in their website) to use as a model for the style (including punctuation and spacing) of your bibliography citations. The bibliography is not included in the length limit of the paper.
Text citations (examples) - You may structure a text citation in either of the following ways: "Jones (1996) stated . . .." or ". . . they feed in these habitats
(Jones and Smith 1994, 1996; Williams et al. 1996). Note use of punctuation; "et al." is used only in the text, only when there are three or more authors for a single work.
Bibliography citation of journal article - Give author(s), year, full title, full journal title, volume, and range of pages. Capitalize all letters in names but only the first word and proper nouns in the paper title. Capitalize all words in journal title. Use last name first for only the first author.
SUZUKI, K., H.
KAWAUCHI, AND Y.
NAGAHAMA. 1988. Isolation and characterization of subunits from two distinct salmon gonadotropins. Genetic
Comparative Endocrinology 71:292-301.
Bibliography citation of book by author(s) - Give author(s), year, full title of the book, Volume number, the publisher and city of publication (first in a series if
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more than one). If it was published in a city you never heard of, place a comma after the city and add the state, province, or country.
HARVEY, P.
H.
AND M.
D.
PAGEL. 1991. The comparative method in evolutionary biology. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Bibliography citation of single chapter in an edited volume (Citations of chapters in edited works combine elements of journal and book citations) - Give author(s), year, the title of the chapter is followed by the range of pages ("Pp.") and "in" then the title of the book and between parentheses the name of the editor(s), followed by "ed." or "eds." Finally, give the publisher, and city of publication, as for a regular book.
LILEY, N. R. 1969. Hormones and reproductive behavior in fishes. Pp. 73-116 in
Fish physiology, Vol. III (W. S. Hoar and D. J. Randall, eds.). Academic Press,
New York.
Bibliography citation of magazines - Magazines are cited much like journal articles, but they sometimes do not have a volume number, and you can substitute the month into the citation:
FOSTER, S. A. 1990. Courting disaster in cannibal territory. Natural History,
November, pp. 52-61.
For a citation taken from an online database :
Hristienko, H. and J. E. McDonald. 2007. Going into the 21st century: a perspective on trends and controversies in the management of the American black bear. Ursus 18:72 –88. Bioone
Grading: The papers will be graded for style and content, including adherence to the length limits and style instructions. Use of proper English and appropriate technical terminology, where it is appropriate. This paper will be worth 350 points.
Lecture Exams (40%): There will be two exams, given at midterm and during the final exam period. Each examination (midterm and final) will comprise 20% of your final grade. The final examination will not be cumulative. Attendance at the examinations is mandatory.
Midterm – Friday, October 14, 9:00 a.m.
Final Exam
– Thursday, December 15, 2011, 11:30-12:30.
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Lab Exams (40%): There will be two exams, given after midterm and during the final week of classes. Each examination (first and second) will comprise 20% of your final grade. The examinations will not be cumulative. Attendance at the examinations is mandatory.
First lab exam – Wednesday, October 19, 1:30 p.m.
Second lab exam
– Wednesday, December 7, 2:00 p.m.
Lecture Quizzes (20%) : In addition to exams, you will receive points for quizzes given during lecture sessions. Up to half of the lectures may end with a fiveminute quiz. Questions on lecture quizzes will be the basis for exam questions and the answers may be discussed at the beginning of the following lecture, when needed.
What is the point of giving quizzes?
- it will force you to consider the information just presented and internalize it before leaving class
- it will eventually help you write better notes by understanding what are the most important things covered during a particular lecture
- it will provide you with an idea of the types and form of questions that you may see on an exam (but long before the actual exam)
- by reading your responses, I will have a better understanding of what material you understand and what you do not and can cover additional material accordingly or reiterate important concepts as needed
- overall, quizzes provide a means to quickly review and summarize information from the last lecture and allow you and I to dismiss any misinformation you may have acquired or clarify any information that may have been confusing
Portfolio (5%): This semester I require that you continue the portfolio that you started in Genetics (BIOL 201). Because this is a universal course requirement, those students who did not have Genetics will create a portfolio or add appropriate items as required. You will develop items to be included in your portfolio. These items will provide an opportunity to demonstrate cumulative accomplishments in your major through this class. These portfolio requirements are:
1- copies of your lab reports, with pictures (only for students attending BIOL 309)
2- copy of your “section 3” of your Natural History paper
3- a statement summarizing what you gained taking this class
You will have to send me an e-mail by December 7 with the statement and the working links to direct me to your portfolio. If the links do not work or your required copies are not available at your portfolio, you will lose 5% of your grade.
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Assessment of Competencies : Grades will be determined by how well students have achieved the competencies of this course.
Evaluating criteria will include: a- Participation in class: Contributing to discussion and class activities is essential to the learning experience. Articulating one’s ideas and reactions helps others to understand the different ways that people respond. Considerate listening to others lets them know that their audience cares about their ideas.
Participating effectively and courteously is one of the most valuable skills a person can develop and have. b- Attendance in class: Students are expected to attend all lecture and laboratory sessions and to participate fully in all lectures and laboratories for the entire time scheduled. This class is based largely on in-class, cooperative group work. There will be no make-up times for missed classes, tests or labs.
Students are responsible for all information covered in lecture, lab, and readings.
If a student accumulates more than 5 (five) absences throughout the semester’s lectures and labs, I reserve the right to award an "F" grade which automatically withdraws the student from the course. (Chronic tardiness is also considered here as missing part of a class). Please take a look at the University policy on attendance in your Student Handbook. Overall, do not miss class unless it is completely unavoidable! Also, I will pay special attention to the quality of all writings, your performance during tests, and other assignments we may have during the semester.
Missing Laboratories
Each unexcused laboratory will constitute a 10% reduction in your overall lab grade. In addition, laboratory assignments will not be accepted for material covered during an unexcused absence. Therefore, you will receive a zero for any assignments that relate to a specific missed lab. If you require missing a laboratory for a legitimate reason (as indicated in the student handbooki.e.
, medical, family emergency, etc.), please let me know as soon as possible so make-up of the material or other arrangements can be made. Late laboratory assignments will not be accepted.
Missing Examinations
Students who expect to miss any classes or exams must notify me at least one week prior to the class to be missed. Make-up lecture exams will be given for legitimate reasons only as outlined by University regulations. Excused absences must be accompanied with written confirmation from a doctor and the Dean of
Student Life. Anyone who fails to comply with these procedures, or who can not
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provide sufficient reasons for missing a scheduled exam or other assignment will receive a zero for that exam or assignment.
Grades will be determined on the following basis:
90% to 100% of possible points…………………..A
80% to 89.9% of possible points………………….B
70% to 79.9% of possible points………………….C
60% to 69.9% of possible points………………….D
Less than 60% of p ossible points…………………F
Differences in points will determine your grade within each letter ( i.e.
, B=80-
89.9%, but within that interval, you can get 80-83.3%=B-, 83.4-86.6%=B, and
86.7-89.9%=B+, and so forth).
Grading - Point Distribution : Since this class is in reality two classes (BIOL308
& BIOL309) and some of you are taking only the lecture portion of it (BIOL308), I will consider the grades as it they were two separate classes.
BIOL308
– Lecture
Lecture Exams midterm: 20% final: 20%
200 pts
200 pts
Lecture Quizzes: 20% 200 pts
Natural History Paper
Proposal: 5% 50 pts
Section 1: 10% 100 pts
Section 2: 10% 100 pts
Section 3: 10% 100 pts
Portfolio: 5% 50 pts
1000 pts Total: 100%
BIOL309 – Lab
Lab Reports
Fish: 15%
Herps: 15%
Birds: 15%
150 pts
150 pts
150 pts
Mammals: 15% 150 pts
Lab Exams
First Exam: 20%
Second: 20%
200 pts
200 pts
Total: 100% 1000 pts
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Academic Honesty: By taking this course, you agree to adhere to
Susquehanna University's rules and regulations. I proscribe all forms of plagiarism and cheating (they are one in the same in my view). I follow the guidelines and University policy regarding the penalty for those identified as cheating or plagiarizing on exams, written laboratory assignments, or other assignments in this class (see the webpage http://www.susqu.edu/student_handbook/honesty.htm
of the student handbook for maximum penalties and the definition of plagiarism (see http://www.susqu.edu/studentlife/16594.asp
for the pertinent section on plagiarism ). Students found to be cheating on assignments will receive a zero for the assignment on the first offense and will receive an F for the course on a second offense.
All cases of plagiarism will be reported to the
Dean of Students. I reserve the right to have all student written assignments submitted in an electronic format for the expressed purpose of checking assignments for plagiarism against internet sources (including pay-sites for papers) using the commercial service Turn-itin.com. The use of “turnitin.com” is meant to be only a deterrent to plagiarism on your written assignments. If you are in doubt as to whether or not any of your assignments for this class constitute cheating or plagiarism as defined by the University Student
Handbook, PLEASE discuss this with me BEFORE turning in an assignment. University faculty have many tools to identify pages lifted from the internet (both proprietary and free sites) and inserted in whole or in part into papers and other assignments (a direct form of plagiarism). All that being said, don't plagiarize and cheat. It will cause nothing but pain, suffering, and grief for both you and me.
Policy on late or incomplete work: Late or incomplete assignments will not be accepted and will receive a grade of zero. In addition, members of the team are responsible for backing up their work. "The disk crashed" or “the other person did not finish her /his part yet” will not be accepted as excuses for late work.
Documented Disabilities: Students who have a disability that requires special accommodations should contact the secretary of the Counseling Center, preferably within the first week of class.
Personal Electronic Devices: Using cells phones or other personal electronic devices during class is considered disruptive behavior and will be treated accordingly. Please, turn off your cell phones, pagers, Blackberries, or other personal electronic dev ices with an “On-Off” control unless you have received permission from the instructor to leave them on. You must have my permission to use a computer during class time. If during class your cell phone rings or I see you texting, you get a one verbal warning for the semester, next time it happens, you have to give me your phone for the rest of that class and will get -
10 points per further occurrence deducted from your final grade. If you think you
15 | BIOL 308-309

have any special situation, please talk to me at the beginning of the class and let me know why you need to keep you cell phone on.
My Role: I am here to facilitate your understanding of the principles of vertebrate natural history and assist you in making connections to science. I will answer your questions, listen to your criticisms and concerns, and respond to your work. My engagement will be directly proportional to your engagement in this course. If at any time you wish to discuss any aspect of this course with me, do not hesitate to call or e-mail. I have not yet developed mind reading skills many assume is characteristic of all educators. Since communication is the key to success in this course and in any profession, I expect you to use all and every possible way of communication.
If you are experiencing difficulty (whether it is with specific course content or with anything else I can help with) -- please do not hesitate to ask for my help.
Remember also that you have access to a variety of student services on campus; I am more than willing to help you locate those as necessary.
Helpful hints:
For most students, the best way to maximize academic performance is to develop a consistent, regular program of preparation, review, and study and to stick with it. That means setting aside specific times each week to "preview" upcoming material from the text and to review previous material from the text and lecture. With a regular, consistent study program, test preparation becomes much more effective and much less traumatic. Although none of the strategies included here will guarantee your success in the course, they have proven helpful to many students in a variety of classes. You might consider trying several of the following until you work out the study style that works best for you.
-Tape the lectures and listen to them in the car, at home, etc. for review
-Ask questions in class -- there's no such thing as a silly question!
-Rewrite your lecture notes, filling in details and concepts from the text
-Ask questions in class -- your classmates will thank you for it
-Test yourself by making up questions and answering them
-Ask questions in class -- let me know when something is not clear!
-Use flash cards to study vocabulary whenever you have got a few minutes
-Ask questions in class -- let me know you're awake and aware!
-Study in a group; take turns explaining material to each other
-Come to my office hours as often as you need to for any help you think I can offer
16 | BIOL 308-309

Week
Tentative Course schedule Red denotes due dates , Grey denotes no class
Date Lecture Topic Must Read
Chapter
LABS Assignment
( I ndividual or T eam)
1 8/29 Introductions ( ☺
) &
An Overview of
1 & 2
8/31
Vertebrates
*An Intro to
Field work @
1:30 pm
Bring all your field equipment
9/2
2 9/7 1 & 2 Systematics
& Evolution
9/7 *SU Library
@ 1:45 – 4:00 pm
3 Proposal (I)
9/9
3 9/12 Vertebrate
Zoogeography
9/14
9/16
4 9/19 Early Chordates &
Jawless Fishes
9/21
4
***
*Fish Hatchery
@ 7:30 am –
2:00 pm
5
9/23
9/26
9/28
Gnathostome Fishes 5
*Electrofishing
@ 12:30- 4:00 pm lunch provided at camp
9/30
6 10/3 Amphibians
10/5
6
Fish Lab
Report (T) *Herps
Collection
@ 1:00-4:30 pm
7
10/7
10/10
10/12
Evolution of Reptiles 7
*Reptiland
@ 12:30-4:30
Section 1 (I)
17 | B I O L 3 0 8 - 3 0 9

10/14
144
8 10/17 Reptiles: morphology, reproduction & development
10/19
10
10/21
9 10/24 Mammals
10/26
10/28
10/31
11/2
11/4
11 11/7 Movements
11/9
11/18
11/25
11/23
Population Dynamics
13 11/21 Interspecific
Interactions
14 11/28 Techniques for
Ecological &
Behavioral Studies
11/30
12/2
11/11
12 11/14 Intraspecific Behavior
& Ecology
11/16
MIDTERM EXAM @ 9:00
No
Lecture
☺
8
9
10
11
12 pm
*First Lab Exam
@1:30 pm
*PA State
Museum @
12:30-5:30 pm
*Bait preparation
@2:00 pm
**Labs on Friday pm and
Saturday am
13
No
Lectures
☺
No
Lectures
☺
14
Bird survey, mist-netting & telemetry
Colleen DeLong talk
No lab
☺
Rain check ☺
Herps Lab
Report (T)
Section 2 (I)
Thanksgiving
Recess
Recess
☺
Thanksgiving
☺
Birds Lab
Report (T)
18 | B I O L 3 0 8 - 3 0 9

15 12/5 Extinction &
Extirpation
12/7
15
12/9 Last day of classes!
16 12/15
☺
*Second Lab
Exam @ 2:00 pm
(due date)
☺
FINAL EXAM @ 11:30 to 12:30
Section 3 (I)
Portfolio (I) &
Mammals Lab
Report (T)
☺
* Although certain labs will take less than 3 hours, a few others may take more than the schedule 3 hours or they will be on another times. I will make every effort to try to be back by 4:00 p.m., but in certain situations (traffic, weather, etc.) we may be arriving to campus later than 4:00 p.m. Please, look at every lab for specific times and make the proper arrangements for those days in which we may get back late.
** Two labs will be replaced by field work during (November); an afternoon/early evening (to set up traps) on a Friday (exact date TBA) and the next morning, early (to check traps and process captures) on the following Saturday (also
TBA). No seminar on that Friday.
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to change the occurrence, timing and content of lectures, laboratory exercises, and examinations with appropriate notice to the class participants.
19 | B I O L 3 0 8 - 3 0 9