BIO 222: Vertebrate Zoology
Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Mark Stanback
Office: Watson 282
Phone: 894-2325
email: mastanback@davidson.edu
office hours:
Wed 11:30 - 1:15
or by appointment
Lecture:
Lab A (24740):
Lab B (24742):
Tues, Thurs 12:15 – 1:30 in Dana 146
Tues 1:40 - 4:20 in Watson 247
Wed 1:30 - 4:20 in Watson 247
DESCRIPTION:
Biology 322 focuses on the natural history of the vertebrates: their evolution, classification,
anatomy, physiology, ecology, and behavior. We will be covering ichthyology (fish), herpetology
(amphibians and reptiles), ornithology (birds), and mammalogy (mammals). Throughout the semester,
our focus will be on extant, rather than extinct organisms. In addition to our regular lab, there is a
required weekend component to this class: students must attend either a day trip to the Riverbanks Zoo
in Columbia, SC or an overnight field trip to Charleston, SC.
Vertebrate Field Zoology works equally well as a springboard or a capstone: it will prepare you
for courses not yet taken and put completed ones into perspective. It would not be inappropriate to think
of 222 as "Animal Appreciation". Just as a trip to the Louvre is enhanced by having taken an Art
History course, a trip around campus (or around the world) is enhanced by prior knowledge of the
vertebrate life you encounter. Believe it or not, natural history is the wellspring of much progress in
biology. The development of hypotheses in biology is absolutely dependent on knowledge of natural
history. A favorite quote (which I’ve posted outside my office): "Knowledge of organisms reduces our
arrogance in modeling the world. Natural history information is my most important reality check,
foundation, and source of intellectual renewal and personal growth." Or, in the words of George
Bartholomew: “Knowing natural history allows an investigator to phrase questions with precision.”
TEXTS:
Pough FH, Janis CM, Heiser JB, 2009. Vertebrate life. Eighth edition. Pearson Prentice Hall, New
Jersey.
Peterson RT, 2010. A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. Sixth edition.
Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
LECTURE:
The correspondence between lectures (below) and phylogeny isn’t perfect (e.g. the lineage
leading to mammals is actually quite ancient), but this order is handy for pedagogical purposes. You
will notice that birds aren’t included in lecture (rather strange given that I study them). However, you’ll
get a big dose of ornithology in lab, which almost makes up for the omission.
Date
Topic
Pough Reading
17 Jan
19 Jan
24 Jan
26 Jan
31 Jan
2 Feb
7 Feb
9 Feb
14 Feb
16 Feb
21 Feb
23 Feb
28 Feb
1 Mar
13 Mar
15 Mar
20 Mar
22 Mar
27 Mar
29 Mar
3 Apr
5 Apr
12 Apr
17 Apr
19 Apr
24 Apr
26 Apr
1 May
3 May
8 May
Intro
Chordata
Sharks
Bony Fish
Life in Water
Life in Water
Life in Water
Tetrapoda
Lissamphibia
Amphibians
Amphibians
Amphibian Reproduction
Amphibian Reproduction
Amniotes, Turtles
Turtles
Turtles
Lizards
Lizards
Snakes
Snakes
Snakes
Snakes
Archosaurs, Crocodilians
Synapsids
Monotremes and Marsupials
Marsupials
Placental Mammals
Mammals
Mammals
Mammals
Assignment
Reviews (2 @ 100 pts each)
Final Exam
Bird Identification Quizzes
Winter birds
Spring birds
Herp/Mammal Quiz
Avian Structure/Function
Chickadee/Titmouse Poster (group)
Nest Depredation Oral presentation
Cumulative Vertebrate List
TOTAL
Ch 1, 2.1, 2.2
3.2, 3.4
5.1, 5.2, 5.5, 5.6
6
4.1, 4.2, 4.5
8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 9.1
10
9.3, 11, 12
13
16.2, 16.3
18
20, 21
Point Value
200 points
200 points
50 points
50 points
40 points
50 points
25 points
10 points
10 points
635 points
Dates
self-scheduled
3 May
Reviews will consist of short discussion, short answer, and matching questions. Reviews will be
administered during the laboratory period. I will post reviews from 2003 - 2010 on Blackboard. All of
your work in this course is covered under the college honor code and must be pledged.
Bird ID Quizzes will test you on your ability to identify local species by sight and sound. The winter
quiz will cover species we will be seeing during the early part of the semester. The later quiz will cover
summer residents (some of which are also winter residents). For the second quiz, you will also need to
know the Order of each species and be able to tell male from female (for sexually dichromatic species).
Quizzes will take place during lab. Photos (and info/calls/songs) are available at both of the following
web sites
http://www.allaboutbirds.org
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/infocenter.html
Herp/Mammal Quiz: Birds are the most conspicuous vertebrates around Davidson, especially in the
winter, but anyone taking a Vertebrate Field Zoology course should have a working knowledge of the
common mammals and herps of the area (for the latter see www.herpsofnc.org). Our Herp/Mammal
quiz will cover the most conspicuous herps and mammals (including some frog calls).
Vertebrate List: Every student will turn in a cumulative list of vertebrate species observed (in the wild)
over the course of the semester. Your list should be organized by Order and Family (Genus and species
not necessary).
Avian Structure/Function: One lab period will be dedicated to avian structure and function (lecture
and dissection). You will work in pairs on your pigeon dissection. The dissection will be followed up
with a practical/test on avian structure/function (in the evening the following week).
Videos: Despite their ubiquity, free-living vertebrates are difficult organisms with which to work. Fish
live under water, many reptiles and amphibians do not emerge until the latter part of the semester and are
difficult to find even then, birds fly away when approached, and local mammals are primarily nocturnal.
Even in a pristine tropical rainforest, vertebrates can be surprisingly difficult to find and study.
Although you will be seeing plenty of animal images in lecture, I believe there is great value in seeing
animals in action in natural habitats. Consequently I am requiring students to watch a number of videos
over the course of the semester. We will watch 4 during lab. The others I will put on reserve in the
library for you to watch at your convenience (I can also screen mass viewings during the semester). You
can also find the herp and mammal videos on Netflix if you have an account. Each video is 50 min in
length.
Fish (sharks, cichlids)
Birds (Life of Birds):
The Insatiable Appetite
Meat Eaters
Herps (Life in Cold Blood):
Land Invaders
Dragons of the Dry
Sophisticated Serpents
Armoured Giants
Mammals (Life of Mammals):
A Winning Design
Plant Predators
Return to the Water
Life in the Trees
Lab:
We will conduct two class experiments over the course of the semester.
1. Do food choices of chickadees and titmice reflect competition?
Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice are phylogenetically related (Family Paridae) and
ecologically similar. Moreover, they often forage together during the winter in mixed-species flocks.
There is evidence, however, that titmice, being dominant to chickadees, tend to monopolize higher
quality microhabitats and foods where/when the two species are together. Last year in my Animal
Behavior class, students demonstrated that even when they chose feeders without any interference from
each other, chickadees chose shelled sunflower seeds and titmice chose the more nutritious peanuts.
This January we will perform an experiment using different foods (sunflower, safflower) to see if this
pattern repeats itself. You will each sign up to observe a feeder for one hour on your own time. Each
lab group will produce a poster using pooled data.
2. Do mammalian nest predators concentrate their foraging along human-maintained trails?
A variety of mammals will use preferentially use human trails to navigate dense vegetation. It is
unclear, however, whether such mammals concentrate their foraging along such trails. If they do, nests
of ground nesting birds close to such trails should be more vulnerable than those farther from such trails.
Using quail eggs in artificial nests (at the Lake Campus), we will test whether nests 10 cm from a mown
“trail” are depredated more often than those 100 cm from a trail. Each lab group will produce a
powerpoint presentation using pooled data.
Great Backyard Bird Count (17-20 Feb):
In addition to conducting the above experiments, we will also participate, as a class, in the
GBBC. Each student will perform a one-hour watch at one of our feeding stations sometime during the
4-day event. This annual count will allow us to compare (via the web) our avifauna with that of other
sites within the state and around the country, as well as comparing this year with other years.
Carolina Raptor Center: We will spend one lab at the Carolina Raptor Center. Each of you will sign
up for a species on which to give a brief presentation when we arrive at their cage.
Weekend Field Trips: Every student needs to attend at least one of the weekend field trips below:
Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC. Unlike its NC rival, this zoo features animals from all over the
world (including Australia, South America, and Asia). It also boasts an excellent aquarium/herp
house. Bring money for lunch. We’ll work out a mutually acceptable date (Saturday or Sunday in
March or April). We will depart at 7:00 am and return by 6:00 pm.
Charleston, SC (21-22 April) The Charleston area is especially wildlife-rich. We will spend
Saturday on Bull Island (part of the Cape Romain Wilderness), then overnight at a motel in
Charleston, then spend Sunday morning at Magnolia Plantation, which has excellent birding. We
will see LOTS of birds (probably >70 species) as well as alligators, snakes, turtles, etc. The college
will pay for transport, fees, motel, etc, but you will need to bring money for meals (mostly fast food).
We will depart early on Saturday morning and return by 6 pm on Sunday.
Equipment:
You will be issued a pair of binoculars to use for the entire semester. You are responsible for
bringing it on ALL field activities. You are also responsible for taking good care of your binoculars-each pair costs $130 dollars and even minor damage will necessitate purchase of a new pair
(compliments of you!). Although we will never purposefully go on a field trip in the pouring rain, this
does not mean that we might not get rained on once we are out. Everyone needs to have a weatherproof
coat and boots or shoes that can get wet and muddy (but keep your feet dry). They call it spring term,
but the fact is it's winter--be prepared!
Release Forms:
All students must sign and return a departmental release form during the first week.
Lab Schedule: We will meet EVERY week for lab (even if we end up shifting some of the activities
due to inclement weather).
Week#
1
2
Week of
16 Jan
23 Jan
3
30 Jan
4
6 Feb
5
13 Feb
6
7
20 Feb
27 Feb
8
5 Mar
12 Mar
9
19 Mar
10
11
12
13
14
15
26 Mar
2 Apr
9 Apr
16 Apr
23 Apr
30 Apr
Activity
Introduction to local birds
Plan chickadee experiment
Shark video, cichlid video
Chickadee data analysis/poster
Winter Bird Quiz
Bird video (insatiable appetite)
Poster revisions
Bird video (meat eaters)
Great Backyard Bird Count (17-20)
Cowan’s Ford (salamanders)
Review I
GBBC data analysis
Netting and trapping birds
No lab (Spring Break)
Avian structure and function
Pigeon dissection
Carolina Raptor Center
(avian structure/function practical – evening)
DCEP drift fence
Review II
No lab (Easter Break)
Turtle trapping, birding BIRD QUIZ
Nest depredation (Lake Campus)
Nest depredation data analysis/presentation, Herp Quiz
Letter grades will be assigned using the following guidelines.
A
= 93.33 - 100% of total possible points
A= 89.99 - 93.32
C
=
B+
= 86.66 - 89.98
C=
B
= 83.33 - 86.65
D+
=
B= 79.99 - 83.32
D
=
C+
= 76.66 - 79.98
F
=
73.33 - 76.65
69.99 - 73.32
66.66 - 69.98
59.99 - 66.65
<59.99
Attendance: You are expected to attend all lecture and laboratory sessions and arrive on time. You are
on your honor to record attendance accurately on the posted attendance sheet. Each absence beyond 4
will cost you a letter grade. Please note that I do not distinguish between good and bad causes of or
reasons for an absence. You are responsible for any assignments given or due on days missed. A busy
schedule is not a valid reason for an extension. Because of the nature of our laboratory sessions,
attendance is critical; unexcused absences will not be tolerated.
If you are a student with a learning disability documented by Davidson College who might need
accommodations, please identify yourself to me within the first week or two of class. Students with
other disabilities are also encouraged to self-identify if there is any way in which I can make
accommodations that will enhance your learning experience. All such discussions will be fully
confidential unless you otherwise stipulate.
Extra Credit: As an incentive to reduce paper wastage and printer/copier usage, I will give 5 points of
extra credit to students who do NOT print out (or photocopy) the lectures. I will also give 5 points to
students who do NOT print out/copy the spots.
Cool sites:
http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/historyoflife.php
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/