Syllabus
Natural History of Vertebrates Lab (ZO 557)
Spring 2009

instructor: Dwight Moore, Ph.D.
office - Science Hall 144
phone - 620-341-5611
email - dmoore@emporia.edu    (put "vertebrates" in the subject line)
http://www.emporia.edu/biosci/moorbiol.htm
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office hours:    Monday 1:00 - 3:00, Tuesday 2:00 - 3:00, Thursday 9:00 - 11:00, and by appointment. In addition, I am usually on campus by 7:30 am and do not leave until after 5:30 pm.    my schedule
text: no required text, however any of a number of field guides would be useful (for example, the Kansas series or the Peterson field guide series)
section: ZO 557, MWF 9:00 - 9:50, Science Hall 46


I. course description:

Natural History of Vertebrates Lab is a course designed for biology majors. The objective of the course is to provide an in-depth study of the vertebrates. The lab will supplement the lecture course and focus on the habitat requirements, collection, and identification of vertebrates in Kansas.

Even though the lecture course (ZO 556) is a separate course from lab (ZO 557), both courses support each other. You can not take one course without the other, that is you must be concurrently enrolled in both courses. IF YOU FAIL EITHER COURSE, YOU MUST REPEAT BOTH COURSES.

II. pre-requisites:

You must have completed biology of animals and lab (ZO 214/215) and ecology (EB 480) or their equivalents. These courses will give you a basic understanding of animals and their evolution and organization and the basics for understanding the ecology of the vertebrates. Natural History of Vertebrates will then build on this information.

III. course organization:

Material will be presented primarily in the form of field trips, examination of specimens, and lectures. Lectures will introduce the specimens that you will be expected to know. It is up to you to determine the best way to identify the organisms presented in lab. You can not expect to pass Natural History of Vertebrates Lab without intensive study outside of lab (1-2 hours of study for every hour in class). The material presented in the latter part of the course will be based on material presented in the first part of the course, therefore you will have to commit the material to long term memory.

IV. grading:

Your grade will be determined based upon the total points (600 points) earned on examinations, field notes, and a collection. There is no provision for doing extra or outside work to improve your grade.

A  = 92.0% to 100%
A-  = 89.0% to 91.9%
B+  = 86.0% to 88.9%
B  = 83.0% to 85.9%
B-  = 79.0% to 82.9%
C+  = 76.0% to 78.9%
C  = 70.0% to 75.9%
D  = 60.0% to 69.9%
F < 60.0%

examinations: Five tests are scheduled for the semester (see class schedule). Because of the time involved in setting-up lab exams, the tests will start at 8:00 and lecture may follow the lab exams. Each test is worth 80 points. This yields 400 possible points on the exams. Because of the time involved in setting up lab exams, they can only be made-up in dire circumstances. I DECIDE IF THE SITUATION WAS DIRE ENOUGH AND I WILL REQUIRE DOCUMENTATION. The make up exam will be given at my convenience.

Because of the time involved in setting-up the lab exams, the lab will be closed for several hours before the lab exams. In addition, the lab may be closed at various times as exams are set-up for other courses also taught in this room. This means that you should make effective use of lab time. SH 46 is available for study from 6:30 am until 10:00 pm Monday through Friday, except when classes are meeting or exams are set up.

collection: During the semester, you must make a collection of vertebrates. This collection will consist of 2 fish, 2 amphibians, and 2 reptiles that are presented as 4" by 6" color photographs in which the specimen is clearly in focus and correctly exposed with key characteristics showing; and plaster casts of tracks or 4" by 6" photographs of 2 birds and 2 mammals for a total of 10 specimens; all must be different species and no domestic species are allowed. In addition, your collection must be supported by field notes and a catalog.

Your grade will be determined based upon the quality of your specimens' preparation, the documentation of the specimens provided in your field notes, and your catalog of specimens. You must collect or photograph your own specimens and this must occur between 16 Janaury 2008 and 5 May 2008. Two or more of you cannot turn in different photographs of the same specimen. This means each of you must have unique speciemens. In addition, if you are given even one specimen/photograph by anyone either through purchase, trade, or gift, it is the same as having someone write your term paper for you. IT IS CHEATING AND YOUR ENTIRE COLLECTION WILL BE WORTH ZERO. The total points possible on the field notes, catalog, and collection is 200 points.

field trips: At different times during the semester, we will go on short field trips during class. These trips will introduce you to methods for collecting vertebrates and for recording observations in the form of field notes. If you miss a class field trip there will be an automatic 10-point deduction from your grade and they can not be made-up. In addition, there will be a required weekend field trip to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge on 2 May - 3 May 2008. If you miss the field trip to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms there will be an automatic 45-point deduction from your grade and it cannot be made-up. You are also required to participate the complete duration of the field trip. All of these field trips must be described in your field notes, regardless wether you collect any specimens or not. All in-class field trips will be announced in class at least one-class day before the field trip.

keys: For each class of vertebrates that are studied in lab, you should make a key to the specimens. It is generally better to work with a partner to make the key. The keys will not be graded, however, in the past when students have made keys to the specimens, they have done much better on the practical exams.

V. attendance:

I will sometimes take attendance, even though I will not count lack of attendance against you, except for field trips. However, if you do not come to class, you will be unable to check if your understanding of the material is adequate. You should be committed enough to your education to come to class, otherwise you are just wasting your money.

VI. academic dishonesty:

Plagiarism, which was mentioned above and is described in more detail in the "Instructions for Review Papers in Natural History of Vertebrates" will result in a zero on your review paper. In addition, any student who permits another student to use his/her work will get a zero on the assignment. Finally, any copying or other forms of cheating during a test will result in a zero on that exam. The Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences will be informed of all acts of academic dishonesty and the action taken against the offender. Be sure to review the Policies on Academic Dishonesty of Emporia State University and the Department of Biological Sciences.

VII. accomodations for disabilities:

Emporia State University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students need to contact the Director of Disability Services (lower level of the Memorial Union, 341-6637) and the professor as early in the semester as possible to ensure that classroom and academic accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. All communication between students, the Office of Disability Services, and the professor will be strictly confidential.

VIII. home page:

There is a home page for this course on ESU's World Wide Web server. There will be information on the server that will be useful to you during the course. I would strongly encourage you to take advantage of the home page during the course. The URL for the home page is http://academic.emporia.edu/mooredwi/nathist/.


IX. important and useful information from the registrar.


TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERTEBRATES
LAB (ZO 557)

Indicates official school holidays
There are a couple of days that I will gone from lecture. You are still responsible for studying this material and asking questions if you do not understand. There is a good chance that I will not lecture over this material.
Days that papers are due or that tests will occur.

14 Jan introduction
16 Jan electronic resources
19 Jan no class, Martin Luther King Day
21 Jan taxonomy
23 Jan keys
26 Jan geographic regions of Kansas
28 Jan fish anatomy
30 Jan fish, field notes and the catalog
2 Feb fish
4 Feb fish
6 Feb fish
9 Feb fish
11 Feb amphibian anatomy
13 Feb amphibians
16 Feb practical exam #1
18 Feb amphibians
20 Febno class, Whatever Day
23 Feb amphibians
25 Feb amphibians
27 Feb amphibians
2 Mar amphibians
4 Mar practical exam #2
6 Marreptilian anatomy
9 Marreptiles
11 Marreptiles
13 Marreptiles
16 Marno class, spring break
18 Marno class, spring break
20 Marno class, spring break
23 Marno class, gone to Mexico
reptiles
25 Marreptiles
27 Marreptiles
30 Marbird anatomy
1 Apr practical exam #3
last day for an automatic "W"
3 Aprbirds
6 Aprbirds
8 Apr birds,
10 Apr birds
13 Apr birds
15 Apr birds
17 Apr birds
20 Apr birds
22 Aprpractical exam #4
24 Aprmammal anatomy
27 Aprmammals
29 Aprmammals
1 Maymammals
2 May(Sat. & Sun.) overnight field trip to Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
4 Maymammals
6 Maymammals
8 Maymammals, collection, catalog, and field notes
14 May practical exam #5, Thursday, 10:10
Last updated on 12 January 2009.
Provide comments to Dwight Moore at dmoore@emporia.edu.
Return to the Natural History of Vertebrates Home Page at Emporia State University.