Department of Biological Sciences
California
State University,
Sacramento
Syllabus
Spring Semester, 2008
“As Eohippus
begat Man O’ War, the shifty-eyed shrews swarmed down from the
trees to chip at
stones, fidget by fires and build atom bombs.”
Archie Carr, A
Handbook of Turtles
Instructor:
Winston C. Lancaster, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Office: 211D Humboldt Hall
phone: (916) 278 6360
email: wlancaster@csus.edu
website:
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/L/lancasterw/
office
hours: Monday 13:30-15:00, Wednesday 10:30-12:00
Lecture: Monday and Wednesday,
8-8:50, 124 Humboldt Hall
Lab: Monday and Wednesday, 9-10:15, 124 Humboldt Hall
Course Description:
Study of the
anatomical systems of vertebrates in an evolutionary and functional context. Covers vertebrate form, function, development and
phylogeny, overviews of organ systems, and how their modification founded the
major events of vertebrate evolution including metamorphosis, water-to-land
transition, tetrapodal locomotion, feeding and reproduction. Labs complement
lectures with dissections of three representative species (shark, salamander,
cat), and surveys of specializations in other forms. Lecture
two hours; laboratory three hours. Fee course. Prerequisite: BIO 01.
1. This
course will acquaint you with the form and function of
vertebrates and provide an overview of organ systems of vertebrates.
Upon
completion of this course, students should be able to identify the major
components of the skeletal and muscular systems and the visceral organs for all
vertebrates. For each organ system,
students should be able to relate the embryological development with adult form
and consider the relationship between form and function.
2. This course will acquaint students with
anatomical concept and terminology, including function, orientation and
position.
In
addition to the names of structures, students should know also the terminology
of position, orientation and movement.
Students should be able to describe the form and relative position of
structures.
3. This course will introduce students to the
phylogenetic history of vertebrates.
Upon
completing this course, students should understand how their morphological modifications founded
the major events of vertebrate evolution including metamorphosis, water-to-land
transition, tetrapodal locomotion, feeding and reproduction.
Lectures
and the dissection of representative species of vertebrates are the fundamental
learning experiences of this course.
Lectures will introduce students to the conceptual foundation of
vertebrate morphology in the context of function, ontogeny and phylogeny. All material, whether covered in lecture, lab
or assigned reading may appear on an exam.
Every student is expected to attend lab and participate in laboratory
exercises. The course will be divided
into five major sections that cover the major functions that characterize the
lives of vertebrates. Students are expected to review the laboratory exercise
prior to each laboratory session, read the assigned material and be familiar
with the expectations for that lab exercise.
The syllabus and schedule for this
course are a plan that will be followed as closely as possible. They do not, however, constitute a
contract. Changes to the course schedule
and other important information will be posted on the course website which may
be accessed through the instructor’s homepage.
NOTICE: The administration of California State
University and the California Faculty Association are currently at impasse on
contract negotiations. Labor disputes
may result in some disruptions of the schedule this semester. Please be assured that quality education is
the highest priority for the instructor, and that disruptions now will only be
undertaken with the goal of maintaining quality for the future.
Required Texts:
Hildebrand,
M. and G. Goslow. 2001. Analysis of
Vertebrate Structure. 5th Ed. John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. New York. 635 p.
Kardong,
K.V and E.J. Zalisko. 2006. Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy: A Laboratory
Dissection
Guide. 4th ed. Mc Graw Hill. Boston. 214 p.
Course Website
The course website can be accessed
through the instructor’s homepage: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/L/lancasterw/.
There you will find
the course syllabus and schedule, reading assignments and additional course
information. The course website will
also provide supplementary materials to aid the study of anatomy.
Course Communication a Comparative Morphology Email List will be created to facilitate communication between
the students and instructor. Students
will be asked to provide the instructor with an email address at the beginning
of the semester which will be used to create a distribution list.
Lab Fee:
$10.00; pay in Lassen Hall
by 22 February. Checks may be left in the drop box; confirmation will be sent
to the instructor. Take cash payment to a cashier and return the stamped sheet
to the instructor. Students who have not paid the lab fee by the deadline will
have a hold placed on their schedule.
Evaluation
Performance in this course will be evaluated by a preliminary quiz, three written examinations (two midterm exams and a comprehensive final), three lab practical tests (not comprehensive) and a literature review. The point values for all evaluation exercises are listed below. The purpose of the preliminary quiz is to help students assess their grasp of the material prior to a major exam. The first exam will follow introductory material, and the skeletal system, the second will cover the muscular and digestive systems and the third will include sections on respiratory, circulatory, neuronal, excretory and reproductive systems, in addition to a comprehensive component. Refer to the course schedule for the dates of all the tests.
Literature
reviews consist of a presentation to the class and a two to three-page synopsis
on a subject of interest that compares at least two current peer-reviewed papers. Papers may be concerned with vertebrate
phylogeny, morphology or function. More
information on the Literature Review will be given in class. Grades on assignments submitted after the due
date will be lowered by one letter grade (10% of point value) per day.
Exams
will consist of a mixture of multiple choice, short answer and discussion
questions. Lab practical tests will
consist of short answer questions, primarily identifications. Answers must be spelled correctly to earn
full credit. On tests, there is no
distinction between lecture and lab. Any
material presented in the course or assigned as reading may appear on lecture
or lab tests.
The
preliminary quiz will count 50 points, the two midterm exams will count 100
points each and the comprehensive final 150 points; each lab practical test
will count 50 points. The presentation of the paper will count 50 points and
the written literature review 100 points.
Ten points will be awarded to students who select a papers to review by
13 February. Finally 20 points will be
based on class attendance and participation, at the discretion of the
instructor. There will be a total of 730
possible points for the class. Final
letter grades will be based on the following scale:
A(-)
³ 90%; B(±) = 80-89%; C(±)
= 70-79%; D(±) = 60-69%; F<60%.
Grades are final
and non-negotiable.
Changes will be
made only on account of error.
There will be no
assignments for extra credit.
Course Policies
Policy on Make-up of
Graded Exercises
All tests should be taken at the scheduled time. A student who anticipates that he or she may
be unable to take an exam or practical at the scheduled time should inform the
instructor prior to the beginning of the exam by a phone message (either
to the instructor’s voice mail or to the office of the Department of Biological
Sciences, 278
6535), by email or in person. Make-up tests will be given only upon
documentation of a valid reason for missing the exam. A make-up may take the form of a multiple
choice, discussion and/or an oral exam at the discretion of the
instructor. Make-up practicals will take
the form of an oral test. A grade of 0
will be recorded for any missed exam that is not made up.
Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated.
CSUS faculty are required to report cheating on tests
or plagiarism. Violators are subject to
immediate removal from the course with the grade of “F”, and disciplinary
action as described in the University catalog and in the University Policy
Manual (http://www.csus.edu/admbus/umanual/UMA00150.htm)
Attendance
Students are
expected to attend all scheduled lectures and laboratories. Success in this course will require hard work
and contentious attendance at lectures and labs. Lab materials will only be available for
study during the scheduled lab. Any
student who misses the first two sessions will be administratively dropped from
the class.
Dropping &
Adding
Students may drop this course at any time in the first two weeks of
class through CASPER. After 9 February,
students must drop through the departmental office with the signature of both
the instructor and the departmental chair.
These drops must be processed by 23 February at 5:00PM. Drops after that time require a petition to
the Dean and will only be considered for serious and compelling reasons.
Conduct in Lecture
and Laboratory
The use of cellular phones or any other remote
communication devices (including wireless internet) is not allowed during
lecture or laboratory. Students are
requested to turn off any such devices upon entering the lecture hall or
laboratory. Persons that violate these
rules will be asked to leave.
Skeletal material, slides,
models and textbooks are provided in the laboratory and may not be
removed. Please do not handle these
materials with dirty gloves.
Every effort is made to reduce the
hazards of working with preserved specimens, but it is incumbent on students to
be aware of the hazards that are unavoidable and to exercise proper precautions
to safeguard health and safety. Every
student is responsible for his/her own safety and must complete a laboratory safety
awareness form.
· Few microbes are able to survive the preservation process.
· Your primary hazards are slippery floors and chemical exposure. Common sense must be exercised
and measures must be taken to protect
yourself.
· Sandals and open-toed shoes are not allowed in lab. You may want to keep shoes for lab in a
locker.
· Gloves will be provided and must be worn at all times while handling
preserved specimens.
· Students
are advised not to wear contact lenses while dissecting as fumes from the
preservatives can
sometimes damage lenses and
irritate the eyes.
· Scalpel blades must never be discarded in the trash. They should only be disposed in the
sharps-box.
· Any injury must be reported to the instructor. A first-aid kit is available in the lab.
· Eating, drinking and use of tobacco products are not allowed in the laboratory at any time.
Your continued
registration in this course indicates your knowledge and acceptance of these
policies.
SUGGESTED APPROACH TO THE LABORATORY
Prior to lab read the exercise for that day in the manual.
Keep up with the material every week.
If you wait to study until the week before
the exam, your chances of success are poor.
Prior to each lab, study materials that can easily be done outside of the laboratory. If you have difficulty understanding any morphological concept write it down and discuss it with other students or the instructor. When several students have the same problem it will be advantageous to raise the question in lab, or post the question on the Comparative Morphology E-mail list.
Plan to spend a significant amount of your study time reviewing the material with other students in small or large groups. Talk to each other and be able to express yourself using correct anatomical terms as much as possible; continuous use of terms (actually saying them) will make them easier to remember.