The content and format of this syllabus have been altered from the original

Biology of the Invertebrates

Spring 2009

E&EB 255b: A systematic treatment of the invertebrate phyla, with emphasis on anatomy, functional organization and evolutionary history. After 122b or G&G 125b or with permission of instructor. M, W 1:00-2:15 ESC 110.

Required Textbook: (Brusca and Brusca 2003)

Required Paper: (Halanych 2004)



E&EB 256Lb: Study of the anatomy of representative living invertebrates accompanied by examination of museum specimens of living and fossil invertebrates. Concurrently with E&EB 255b. Th. 1:30-5:00 ESC 210.

Required Textbook: (Wallace and Taylor 2003)

What are invertebrates?

Whether measured by numbers of species (left), numbers of individuals, or biomass, the majority of the animals on Earth are invertebrates (Text then references a pie chart of animal diversity by group).

Yet in spite of their great abundance and diversity, it is surprisingly difficult to come up with a simple definition of an invertebrate. To explore the invertebrates, we’ll begin with an overview of evolution and then discuss systematics and taxonomy, or the classification of living things. We’ll discuss the architecture and development of animal bodies, and then begin a taxonomic survey of major invertebrate groups, ending with a brief discussion of the vertebrates.

Classes will consist of two 75-minute lectures per week. The laboratory portion of the course (E&EB 256Lb) will be coordinated with the lectures and will meet once per week on Thursday afternoons. The lab will provide valuable hands-on experience with the animals featured in lecture and will help you to organize the material for the lecture portion of the course.

Instructor

Dr. John R. Cooley
401A OML
2-7214
(email address removed)
Office Hours TBA

Readings:

Readings will be assigned from the text (Brusca and Brusca 2003). Additional readings may be assigned from the primary scientific literature. Other references you may find helpful include (Lee et al. 2000; Nielsen 2001; Tudge 2000; Weiss 1995).

Web Resources:

Course materials, announcements, and discussions will be on Yale’s Classes v.2.
The Animal Diversity Web (hyperlink removed) at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology is an excellent resource for this course.

Lectures:

Lectures will be based on the chapters in (Brusca and Brusca 2003); however, since the phylogenetic classification in this text is outdated, the course will use the scheme in (Halanych 2004) and the order of the lectures will be modified accordingly.

The following schedule is subject to change:

Period Date Topic Readings
1 12 January The Evolution of life B2 Ch. 1
2 14 January The Classification of life B2 Chs. 2, 24, Halanych 2004
3 16 January Protists B2 Ch. 5
4 21 January Achtung! Bauplan! B2 Ch. 3

A

 22 January Lab orientation, Protists W&T Ch. 1
5 26 January The development of living organisms B2 Ch. 4
6 28 January Porifera: Sponges B2 Ch. 6

B

 29 January Museum orientation, Porifera, Placozoa W&T Ch. 2
7 2 February Ctenophores: Comb Jellies B2 Ch. 9
8 4 February Placozoans and their allies B2 Ch. 7

C

 5 February Cnidaria and Ctenophora W&T Chs. 3, 4
9 9 February Exam I
10 11 February Cnidaria B2 Ch. 8

D

 12 February Lophophorates and Platyhelminthes W&T Chs. 5, 19, 21
11 16 February Lophophorates B2 Ch. 21
12 18 February Platyhelminthes B2 Ch. 10

E

 19 February “Blastocoelomates”, Sipuncula, Echiura W&T Chs. 7-9, 12, 17
13 23 February Misc. Lophotrochozoa B2 Ch. 12, 14
14 25 February Segmented worms: Annelida B2 Ch. 13

F

 26 February Annelids and Nemerteans W&T Chs. 11, 6
15 2 March Nematoida B2 Ch. 12
16 4 March Exam II

G

 5 March Mollusca W&T Ch. 10
17 23 March Ribbon worms: Nemertea B2 Ch. 11
18 25 March Mollusca B2 Ch. 20

H

 26 March Cheliceriformes and basal arthropods W&T Chs. 14, 15, 16A, B
19 30 March Ecdysozoans B2 Chs. 12, 15
20 1 April Cheliceriformes B2 Ch. 19

I

 2 April Myriapods and Crustaceans W&T Ch. 16C, D
21 6 April Centipedes and Millipedes: Myriapods B2 Ch. 18
22 8 April Miscellaneous Crustaceans B2 Ch. 16

J

 9 April Hexapods W&T Ch. 16D
23 13 April Hexapods: The insects B2 Ch. 17
24 15 April Echinodermata B2 Ch. 22

K

 16 April Echinoderms, and Chordates W&T Ch. 22
25 20 April Hemichordata and Chordata B2 Ch. 23
26 22 April Exam III

L

 23 April Lab Practical Exam
27 11 May Final Exam

E&EB 255b topics are numbered; E&EB 256Lb topics are italicized and designated by letters. B2 = (Brusca and Brusca 2003); W&T = (Wallace and Taylor 2003)

Evaluation:

There are three one-hour, non-cumulative exams (100 pts. each) scheduled during the lecture hours. Exam questions will include essay and short answer formats, with roughly 20 points allocated to each lecture. There will also be a cumulative final exam (100 pts.) administered on May 11 at 2:00 P.M.. Final grades will be calculated in two ways, and you will receive the higher of the calculated grades: A) (Total of all exams) / (400 exam points); or B) (Total of 2 highest hour exams + Final exam)/ (300 exam points). You should assume that the grade scale will be no stricter than a “straight” scale (A: 93%, A-: 90%, B+: 87%, B: 83% etc.) although I reserve the right to modify the grading scale in ways that make it more generous.

Laboratory grades will be based on 10 weekly quizzes and one cumulative lab practical, given in the final lab period.

Students taking the course for graduate credit will also be required to write a term paper that reviews the systematics and classification of invertebrate taxa.

Missed exams

I will give make-up exams only in exceptional circumstances and only after receiving appropriate paperwork from your dean, preferably in advance. Any student who does not attend an exam and fails to receive permission in advance to take a make-up exam will receive no credit for the exam.

Academic integrity

Plagiarism and cheating are serious violations of academic integrity standards and will be punished in accordance with Blue Book guidelines.

University resources:

Resource office on Disabilities:
(hyperlink removed)

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology:
(hyperlink removed)

Academic Resources:
(hyperlink removed)

Academic Honesty:
(hyperlink removed)

Literature:

Brusca, R. C., and G. J. Brusca. 2003. Invertebrates. Sinauer, Sunderland MA.
Halanych, K. M. 2004. The new view of animal phylogeny. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 35:229-256.
Lee, J. J., S. H. Hutner, and E. C. Bovee. 2000. The Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa. Blackwell.
Nielsen, C. 2001. Animal Evolution: Interrelationships of the living phyla. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Tudge, C. 2000. The Variety of Life: A survey and a celebration of all the creatures that have ever lived. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Wallace, R. L., and W. K. Taylor. 2003. Invertebrate Zoology. Pearson Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco.
Weiss, H. M. 1995. Marine animals of southern New England and New York. DEP Maps and Publications Office, Hartford CT.