Download Zoology Learning Goals Fall, 2012

Zoology Learning Goals
Fall, 2012
Overall Goals, Methods, and Criteria
(see learning goals document for specific learning goals)
Goal 1.
Each student will be familiar with the taxonomy of the animals.
Methods to achieve this goal:
1. Individual use of digital images for self-study.
2. Use of computerized “hypertext” programs and name quizzes.
3. Lectures/slide presentations on each group.
4. Reading the textbook.
5. Field experiences.
6. Examination/Curation of preserved specimens.
Evaluation/criteria for success:
A. Each student will receive a passing grade on quizzes and tests.
B. Each student will pass the name/ID test at the end of the semester.
Goal 2.
Each student will learn the basics of reproduction, development,
homeostasis, circulation, gas exchange, evolution, development and ecology as
they apply to animals. Each student will learn the historical development of key
ideas such as evolutionary and systematic theories, and will also learn about the
role zoology plays in society. Finally, each student will know the characteristics
associated with major groups.
Methods to achieve this goal:
1. Assigned readings from the text.
2. Occasional assigned readings from other sources.
3. Small group/class discussions.
4. Lectures by the instructor.
5. Field experiences.
Evaluation/criteria for success:
A. Each student will pass objective tests and quizzes on the assigned material.
Goal 3.
Each student will improve his/her ability to write.
Methods to achieve this goal:
1. Structured writing assignments designed to build skills progressively.
Goal 4.
Each student will learn how to gather zoological information from our
library, and how to assemble that information into a well-written report.
Methods to achieve this goal:
1. A short, early paper based on the primary literature to help identify writing problems.
2. Selection of an animal taxon by each student; this will be paired with a taxon
selected by the instructor.
3. Location of at least 20 references in our library (or from full-text internet sources); 10
of which are peer-reviewed papers in refereed journals.
4. Assembling these references into a bibliography.
5. Completion of a 15-20 page (typed, double-spaced) research paper on the biology of
the selected taxa.
6. Revision of the paper after review by the instructor.
7. Production of a web page.
Evaluation/criteria for success:
A. Completion of a satisfactory paper. Details on evaluation are included with the
paper assignment.
B. An informative and well-delivered presentation.
Goal 5.
The class will be fun.
Methods to achieve this goal:
1. An atmosphere of academic respect and cooperation.
2. Fun field trips.
Specific Learning Goals:
I.
1
Evolution Part 1 – The Basics – Chapter 20
a. Know1 the Linnaean taxonomic ranks (levels)
b. Know the parts of a binomial specific epithet
c. Understand the relationship between phylogeny and taxonomy
d. Be able to identify and state the evolutionary contributions of Lamarck and
compare and contrast them to those of Darwin and Wallace
e. Know the roles of Linnaeus, Lyell, Malthus and Wallace in formulating
Darwin’s theory of evolution.
f. Be able to recapitulate and explain Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural
selection in terms of 5 observations and 3 conclusions.
g. Know the terminology associated with population genetics
h. Know the types of variation upon which evolution acts
i. Know the 5 requirements for the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to be in
effect.
j. Be able to explain how the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium is a null
hypothesis for evolution at the population level
k. Be able to mathematically demonstrate the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
l. Be able to explain why small populations are more vulnerable to genetic
drift.
m. Be able to distinguish between founder effect and bottleneck effect.
n. Know the 3 conditions required for natural selection to operate.
o. Know what fitness is and how it is a composite of survival and
reproduction.
p. Know how evolution can maintain variation.
q. Know the 3 types of natural selection.
r. Be able to predict the evolutionary response to long-term periods of each
type of natural selection (directional, disruptive, stabilizing).
s. Understand how natural selection predicts such non-adaptive traits as the
tail of the male peacock.
Know (and understand), as used hear, means to memorize taxonomic ranks, taxa, terms, etc.; to be
able to define them and to recognize their definitions, to be able to properly order them, to be able to
apply them to examples of animals or taxa, to be able to write them out in proper order from memory, to
be able to use them properly in writing, to be able to SPELL them, to be able to compare and contrast
them with similar ideas, be able to give specific examples of, etc.
II.
Evolution Part 2 – Evidence for Evolution – Chapter 21
a. Know the relationship between the concepts of a scientific theory, a
scientific model, and predictions as they apply to evolution
b. Understand how the fit between predictions and a model can be used to
support or refute a model (theory) especially when experimental evidence
is hard to obtain.
c. Be able to explain how the adaptations shown by “Darwin’s Finches”
support the evolutionary model.
d. Be able to explain how the peppered moth represents a natural
experiment supporting the evolutionary model.
e. Be able to cite examples of artificial selection and how they support the
evolutionary model.
f. Be able to describe the different types of fossil
g. Be able to explain how the fossil record supports the evolutionary model.
h. Be able to explain how anatomical evidence supports the evolutionary
model.
i. Be able to cite examples of convergent evolution.
j. Know how homology and ontogeny can be used to support the
evolutionary model.
III.
Evolution Part 3 – Speciation – Chapter 22
a. Know the biological species concept.
b. Know the 5 pre-mating and 4 post-mating isolating mechanisms.
c. Understand the problems with the BSC.
d. Know the 2 basic types of speciation (allopatric and sympatric).
e. Understand WHY it is adaptive to erect isolating mechanisms.
f. Understand the role of polyploidy and disruptive selection in sympatric
speciation.
g. Know what adaptive radiation is.
h. Know what character displacement is and how it contributes to speciation.
i. Be able to compare and contrast gradualism and punctuated equilibrium.
IV.
Morphology – Chapter 32
a. Know the grades of metazoan organization.
b. Know the relationship between surface area and volume as body size
increases, and be able to explain the implications of this relationship.
c. Know the different types of body symmetry exhibited by animals.
d. Know the basic body planes and directional terms.
e. Know what segmentation is, the terms associated with it, and how it
affects our understanding of body structure.
f. Know the basic body plan of an insect as an example.
g. Know the basic types of body cavities, and begin to associate these with
specific taxa.
h. Know the basic architectural patterns for the major animal groups.
i. Be able to compare and contrast protostomes and deuterostomes in terms
of cleavage patterns and embryonic development.
j. Know how the basic body cavities develop embryologically.
k. Recognize the major animal phyla by their body architecture and be able
to pair key structural features with associated taxa.
l. Know the basic tissue types in vertebrates and the embryonic tissues from
which each are derived.
V.
Classification – Chapter 23
a. Be able to compare and contrast taxonomy (classification) and
systematics.
b. Understand binomial nomenclature.
c. Understand the Linnaean system of taxonomic ranks and modern
extensions thereof.
d. Be able to compare and contrast the morphological, biological and
phylogenetic species concepts.
e. Understand how modern phylogenetics are based on character states.
f. Be able to compare and contrast synapomorphies and
symplesiomorphies.
g. Understand clades and cladograms. Be able to construct a cladogram.
h. Be able to distinguish between monophyletic, paraphyletic and
polyphyletic groupings and know the taxonomic implications of each.
i. Know the two main theories of taxonomy in use today.
j. Be able to apply cladistics to the major divisions of life.
VI.
Taxa – Remainder of semester
For each taxon studied, you should know the following as given in the text and/or notes.
You probably will want to create a set of excel worksheets with this data summarized for
each taxon.
a. Taxonomic placement of the taxon – the groups which it belongs to and
the groups which belong to it (if any)
b. Be able to recognize typical members of the taxon (images or specimens)
by sight.
c. Be able to recognize atypical but significant (i.e. covered in class)
members of the taxon by sight.
d. Know key characteristics of the taxon as covered in class. These would
include any characteristics of the larger taxa to which it belongs.
e. Know where members of the taxa can be found.
f. Know about how many species are in the taxon (if given).
VII.
Evolution
a. Understand the Darwinian formulation of evolution as descent with
modification as controlled by natural selection
b. Understand enough population genetics to see the genetic basis of
evolutionary change
c. Understand the concept of a null hypothesis in science, and the HardyWeinberg equilibrium as a specific example of a null hypothesis which has
been disproven (thus supporting evolution)
d. Understand the role of population size and random events in evolution
e. Understand how evolutionary success is measured, i.e. the concept of
fitness
f. Understand how evolution can maintain genetic diversity
g. Understand a series of natural and artificial experiments in support of
evolution
h. Understand how the fossil record supports the current model of evolution
i. Understand how anatomical evidence from a variety of species supports
the model of evolution
j. Understand the concept of a species in a sophisticated biological sense
k. Understand the pre- and postmating mechanisms that can cause
populations to diverge over time into separate species.
l. Understand the processes of allopatric and sympatric speciation
m. Understand modern additions to Dartwin’s theory of evolution such as
punctuated equilibrium.
VIII.
Cellular Reproduction
a. Understand the primacy of the cell in our conceptualization of biology.
b. Know the two major types of cells and which organisms have which type
of cell
c. Understand the process of binary fission in prokaryotic cells
d. Understand the nature of chromosomes in eukaryotic cells
e. Understand that cell division in eukaryotic cells is dependent on
separation of the chromosomes into two comparable groups
f. Understand the eukaryotic cell cycle
g. Understand the stages of mitosis
h. Understand how the cell cycle is controlled in eukaryotic cells, and how
failure of that control can lead to cancer.
i. Understand the nature of stem cells
j. Understand the process of meiosis and how it differs from mitosis
k. Be able to compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis
l. Understand the role of meiosis in reproduction and the passing of genetic
information from one generation to the next
IX.
Heredity
a. Understand genetics by examining its history
b. Understand more of science by thinking about the implications of Darwin’s
and Mendel’s ideas, and what might have happened had Darwin been
aware of Mendel’s work in genetics
c. Understand the basic crosses done by Mendel
d. Understand how to trace simple genetic markers through a family by use
of a pedigree
e. Understand the characteristics of dominant and recessive traits, both at
the level of the genotype and the phenotype
f. Be able to use simple genetic mathematical models to predict the ratio of
traits in a simple cross
g. Be aware of several patterns that do not follow the patterns discovered by
Mendel
h. Understand several modern extensions of Mendel – polygenic inheritance,
environmental influences, etc.
X.
Human Reproductive Systems
a. Understand the various forms of reproduction used by living organisms
(sexual, asexual, parthenogenesis, budding, etc.)
b. Understand how sex (gender) is determined in various groups of
organisms (it’s not always XY or XX!).
c. Understand the process of fertilization
d. Understand the basics of mammalian reproduction
e. Understand the hormonal control of reproduction in mammals
f. Understand the human female estrous cycle
g. Understand how each of various forms of human birth control works and
the advantages/disadvantages of each
h. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a hands-on lab for this section