Biology 108L - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates
Instructors:
The Professor for the course is Professor Kathleen Smith (kksmith@duke.edu). Dr. Vickie Eason (vkeason@duke.edu) is the laboratory supervisor. Further contact information for each may be found on the Blackboard website.
Textbook:
Functional Anatomy of the Vertebrates by Karel Liem, Willie Bemis, Warren Walker and Lance Grande, Third Edition. We will cover the entire textbook, although some material will be discussed in more detail than other. The schedule below gives you information on which chapter is applicable to each lecture or lab; in lecture I will give you specific pages for particular focus.
Laboratory dissection manual:
We will use "The Dissection of Vertebrates, A Laboratory Manual" by G. De luliis and D. Pulera. In addition extensive handouts for each lab will be posted on Blackboard. You must print these out before lab.
Other supplies:
You must purchase a dissection kit at the bookstore You will not need this for the first lab, but will need it in later labs. You will be required to wear eye protection - if you do not wear glasses, please purchase goggles. You may wish to wear protective clothing (lab coat or "scrub" top) to lab when we do dissection. We will provide gloves for your use.
You will need a 3-ring binder, plain and lined paper, colored pencils and dividers for your lab notebook.
Lab policy, grading policy and other information:
We will make liberal use of the Blackboard website. On this site we will post further information on grades, exams, lab policy and so forth. Please refer to the site for further information.
Course Schedule
Week |
Date |
Lecture (T & Th) |
Lab (T or W) |
Reading |
| 1 |
Aug. 30 |
1 Introduction to comparative biology; who are the vertebrates? |
Chapter 1 |
|
| 1 Phylogeny and comparative biology |
Chapter 1 |
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| Sept 1 |
2 Origin of vertebrates; early evolutionary history |
Chapters 2 & 3 |
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| 2 |
Sept 6 |
3 Diversification of vertebrates; adaptations to life on land |
Chapter 3 |
|
| 2 The vertebrate body; lamprey |
Chapters 2 & 3 |
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| Sept 8 |
4 Development 1 life history, the pharyngula; evolution and development |
Chapter 4 |
||
| 3 |
Sept 13 |
5 Development 2; fertilization to the pharyngula; gastrulation |
Chapter 4 |
|
| 3 Overview of vertebrate development Graded assignment |
Chapter 4 |
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| Sept 15 |
6 The integument & skeletal tissues; the origin of bone |
Chapters 5 & 6 |
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| 4 |
Sept 20 |
7 The vertebral column and axial skeleton |
Chapter 8 |
|
| 4 Vertebral columns; intro to histology Graded assignment |
Chapter 5, Ch 6 & 8 |
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| Sept 22 |
8 The evolution of limbs; limb skeletons in vertebrates |
Chapter 9 |
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| 5 |
Sept 27 |
9 Intro to the muscular system; limb muscles |
Chapter 10 |
|
| 5 Hind limb bones and muscle Graded assignment |
Chapters 5, 9 & 10 |
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| Sept 29 |
MIDTERM 1 |
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| 6 |
Oct 4 |
10 Locomotion on land |
Chapter 11 |
|
| 6 Forelimb anatomy Graded assignment |
Chapter 11 |
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| Oct 6 |
11 Locomotion in media -- air and water |
Chapter 11 |
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| 7 |
Oct 11 |
FALL BREAK |
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| 7 Flight project Graded assignment |
Chapter 11 |
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| Oct 13 |
12 Respiratory systems |
Chapter 18 |
||
| 8 |
Oct 18 |
13 The heart and circulation 1 |
Chapter 19 |
|
| 8 Heart and circulation |
Chapter 19 |
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| Oct 20 |
14 Circulatory systems 2 Paper review I due |
Chapter 19 |
||
| 9 |
Oct 25 |
15 Cranial skeleton -- evolution and basic plan |
Chapter 7 |
|
| 9 Evolution of the skull |
Chapter 7 |
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| Oct 27 |
16 Evolution of jaws and teeth and cranial muscles |
Chapter 7, 16 |
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| 10 |
Nov 1 |
17 Functional morphology of feeding -- chewing |
Chapter 16 |
|
| 10 Mammalian masticatory system Graded assignment |
Chapter 7 |
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| Nov 3 |
MIDTERM 2 |
| 11 |
Nov 8 |
18 Functional morphology of feeding -- tongue and pharynx; |
Chapter 16 |
|
| 11 Mammalian skull Graded assignment |
Chapter 16 |
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| Nov 10 |
19 Branchial arches; the neural crest |
Chapter 4, 7 |
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| 12 |
Nov 15 |
20 Intro to the brain and sense organs |
Chapter 12-14 |
|
| 12 Comparative brain and sense organs Graded assignment |
Chapters 12 - 14 |
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| Nov 17 |
21 Vertebrate sensory systems |
Chapter 12 |
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| 13 |
Nov 22 |
22 Peripheral and cranial nerves |
Chapter 13 |
|
| No lab |
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| Nov 24 |
Thanksgiving Break |
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| 14 |
Nov 29 |
23 The mammalian brain |
Chapter 14 |
|
| 13 The mammalian brain and cranial nerves |
Chapters 13, 14 |
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| Dec 1 |
24 Guts and digestion |
Chapter 17 |
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| 15 |
Dec 6 |
25 Renal systems and excretion PAPER REVIEW II DUE |
Chapter 20 |
|
| 14 Digestive, renal and reproductive systems |
Chapters 17 & 20 |
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| Dec 8 |
26 Reproductive strategies and systems |
Chapter 21 |
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| Dec 13 |
Final exam |
7-10 PM |