Lecture Notes
Natural History of Vertebrates
Emporia State University
There is a set of notes that, for the most part, correspond to the chapters in your textbook. Not all of the chapters in your textbook will be covered. The notes only cover those topics that will be covered in class. Additional material may be assigned as readings from the text. Some topics may not be covered in the book but will be presented in these notes. The chapters below are arranged in the order in which they will be covered.
Your first introduction to the material for this course will be via these notes. You are expected to read and study these notes before coming to class. The class notes specifically reference certain tables and figures in your textbook. You should carefully study these tables and figures. Class time is a time for asking questions, discsussions, or small group problem solving. I may not cover all of these notes in a classical lecture format.
These notes are provided to help direct your study from the textbook. They are not designed to explain all aspects of the material in great detail; that is what class time and the book is for. If you were to study only these notes, you would not learn enough to do well in the course.
These notes are also linked to Dr. Lynnette Sievert's notes for her class, Vertebrate Structure and Development. As a student in Natural Histroy of Vertebrates, you are not expected to learn the material from her class, but knowing the embryology, anatomy, and physiology of the vertebrates will help to explain the evolution, ecology, and behavior of the vertebrates. As you are a biology major, Dr. Sievert and I hope that you are interested enough to explore these topics beyond what is required for either class alone.
exam #1
Chapter 1 - Diversity, classification, and evolution
Chapter 2 - Vertebrate Relationships and Basic Structure
Chapter 3 - Jawless Vertebrates and the Origin of Jawed Vertebrates
Chapter 7 - Fossils and Continental Drift
Chapter 5 - Radiation of the Chondrichthyes
exam #2
Chapter 6 - The Major Radiation of Fishes
Chapter 7 - Geography and Ecology of the Paleozoic
Chapter 8 - Origin and Radiation of Tetrapods
Chapter 9 - Salamanders, Anurans, and Caecilians
Chapters 8 & 10 - Amniote Origins & Turtles
Chapter 14 - Mesozoic Diapsids (through 7 Mar 03)
exam #3
Chapter 11 & 14 -- The Lepidosaurs: (from 10 Mar 03)
Chapter 15 - The Evolution of Birds
Chapter 16
final
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 13
Chapter 15
Last updated on 5 February 2008
Provide comments to Dwight Moore at mooredwi@emporia.edu
Return to the Natural History of Vertebrates Home Page at Emporia State University.