ZOOLOGY 301 Natural History of the Vertebrates of Alberta Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta

Course Outline
January - April 2000

Lecture Outline
Lectures: Mon Wed Fri 09:00 - 09:50 hours, Room BS M-145

1.		Introduction (course objectives; content; 
		natural history as a science and hobby; 
		taxonomy; classification)

2.		Fishes

3.		Amphibians

4.		Reptiles

5.		Mammals

Feb 18		MIDTERM LECTURE EXAM (20%)

		Reading Week: February 21-25: No lectures

6.		Mammals (cont'd)

7.		Birds

8.		Aquatic Environments and Glaciation

9.		Geological History and Terrestrial Environments

Apr 19		FINAL LECTURE EXAM (30%): 09:00-11:00 hrs
		(cumulative, including a maximum of 30% "pre-midterm" material)

Apr 28		Deferred Final Exam at 13:00 hrs

Week of


Jan 10		Fishes I: Fam. Petromyzontidae, Acipenseridae, 
		Hiodontidae, Esocidae, Salmonidae, Cichlidae		Howland
 
Jan 17*		Fishes II: Fam. Cyprinidae, Catostomidae, 
		Ictaluridae, Gadidae, Poeciliidae, Gasterosteidae	Howland
 
Jan 24*		Fishes III: Fam. Cottidae, Percopsidae, Percidae. 
		Amphibians and Reptiles					Howland
 
Jan 31		MIDTERM LAB EXAM (15%)
		(Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles)				Howland

Feb 07*		Mammals I: Orders Insectivora, Chiroptera, 
		Lagomorpha						Heinlen
 
Feb 14*		Mammals II: Order Rodentia 				Heinlen
 
Feb 21		Reading Week: No Labs

Feb 28*		Mammals III: Orders Carnivora, Artiodactyla, 
		Perissodactyla						Heinlen

Mar 06		Birds I: Orders Gaviiformes to Falconiformes
		Mammal Quiz (5%)					Franken
 
Mar 13*		Birds II: Orders Galliformes to Piciformes 		Franken
 
Mar 20*		Birds III: Order Passeriformes 
		(Tyrannidae to Muscicapidae)				Franken

Mar 27*		Birds IV: Order Passeriformes
		(Mimidae to Passeridae)					Franken

Apr 10		FINAL LAB EXAM (25%)
		(cumulative)						Franken


* = oral presentations on Species Status Report

All students will be required to do a Species Status Report on one of the following species in Alberta. The report will have two components, a five-minute oral presentation in the lab (at assigned time as per the sign-up sheet) and a two-page written submission (due in the last lecture on April 12). A sample report is also posted.

	 1.  Bull Trout				13.  Caribou
	 2.  Arctic Grayling			14.  Gray Wolf
	 3.  Lake Sturgeon			15.  Black-footed Ferret
	 4.  Brook Stickleback			16.  Snow Goose
	 5.  Yellow Perch			17.  Harlequin Duck
	 6.  Chorus Frog			18.  Sandhill Crane
	 7.  Painted Turtle			19.  Sage Grouse
	 8.  Big Brown Bat			20.  Great Horned Owl
	 9.  American Beaver			21.  House Sparrow
	10.  Hoary Marmot			22.  Black-throated Green Warbler
	11.  Southern Red-backed Vole		23.  Killdeer
	12.  Grizzly Bear

The format of the written submission should follow articles published in the journal Canadian Field-Naturalist such as:

Cleator, H. J. 1996. The status of the Bearded Seal, Erignathus barbatus, in Canada. Can. Field-Nat. 110: 501-510.

Dadswell, M. J. 1984. Status of the Shortnose Sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, in Canada. Can. Field-Nat. 98: 75-79.

Dadswell, M. J. 1985. Status of the Blueback Herring, Alosa aesrivalis, in Canada. Can. Field-Nat. 99: 409-412.

Moodie, G. E. E. 1984. Status of the Giant (Mayer Lake) Stickleback, Gasterosteus sp., on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Can. Field-Nat. 98: 115-119.

Your paper should be in the form of a regular research report so it should have a clear and concise introduction and literature cited section included. The text must be typed, double spaced, two pages maximum (excluding the title page, tables, figures, and the literature cited section), and should include:

Title page with author's name and address

Introduction

Status Report

Concluding Remarks

Literature Cited

Open Lab Hours - Thursdays 9:00 - 16:00 hrs

These sessions will be for review only. No instruction will take place. Students are reminded that the specimens must be treated with care.