Students

BIOL3510 – Vertebrate Biology and Behaviour

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-infrequent, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Culum Brown
Erin Cheng
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above including BIOL262 or BIOL208 or (BIOL2310 or BIOL228) or (BIOL2210 or BIOL229)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Evolution is a dynamic process that has occurred over many millions of years (deep evolution) and continues to this day (contemporary evolution) shaping all aspects of vertebrate biology. This unit considers the major events in vertebrate evolution: invertebrate chordate to vertebrate; jawless to jawed; water to land; ectothermy to endothermy; and land to air. The newly emerging synthesis of evolutionary and developmental biology is having considerable impact on current vertebrate evolutionary theory, as are molecular techniques for constructing phylogenies. These topics are discussed in relation to deep and contemporary evolution of vertebrate groups. Lecture topics also discuss the main traits associated with each group of vertebrates including anatomy, physiology, brains and behaviour. The practical work reinforces the lectures by focussing on the comparative anatomy, morphology and behaviour of representative vertebrate groups.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply taxonomic nomenclature to vertebrate groups
  • ULO2: Relate anatomical and behavioural traits to the diversity of key vertebrate species
  • ULO3: Associate the major steps in vertebrate evolution to behaviour, body form and physiological function
  • ULO4: Evaluate different methods for determining evolutionary relationships
  • ULO5: Classify vertebrate behaviour to functional roles and interactions at community levels
  • ULO6: Communicate scientific information relevant to vertebrate biology in oral and in written format

General Assessment Information

General Faculty Policy on assessment submission deadlines and late submissions: 

Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.

All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark of zero unless late submissions are specifically allowed as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn.

If late submissions are permitted as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn a consistent penalty will be applied for late submissions as follows: 

A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.

 

Off-shore students

Off-shore students must email the convenor as soon as possible to discuss study options.

 

COVID Information and on-campus classes

On-campus teaching continues to be scheduled for Session 1, 2022. Masks are compulsory for all classes in indoor spaces and social distancing will be implemented wherever possible. Students will also be required to sanitise surfaces before and after use.

 

Students are requested to minimise the risk of spreading COVID to themselves and others in accordance with the university and NSW Health guidelines: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs and https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe.

 

Any further requirements or changes to units in relation to COVID will be communicated to students via iLearn.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Prac Notes 20% No 29/05/2022
Prac Report 20% No 22/05/2022
Science Communication 10% No 27/03/2022
Weekly activities 10% No weekly
Exam 40% No TBA

Prac Notes

Assessment Type 1: Lab book
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 29/05/2022
Weighting: 20%

 

As a good scientist it is paramount that you learn to keep an accurate record of your experiments and activities. This usually takes the form of a lab book. Throughout this course you will be exposed to a series of lab exercises which involves examination of a LOT of different material. These lab notes should not only consolidate your understanding of each prac but also provide a good resource for review. (I still have my lab notes from my Vertebrate Evolution course from 1993!) It is expected that you will create a word document in which you will paste pictures, diagrams and notes that you take during the practical sessions. The lab “book” will be submitted via iLearn for review after prac 5 and prac 10, but will be reviewed during each prac session.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply taxonomic nomenclature to vertebrate groups
  • Relate anatomical and behavioural traits to the diversity of key vertebrate species
  • Associate the major steps in vertebrate evolution to behaviour, body form and physiological function
  • Evaluate different methods for determining evolutionary relationships
  • Classify vertebrate behaviour to functional roles and interactions at community levels

Prac Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 22/05/2022
Weighting: 20%

 

The practical report requires your utmost attention during both the ‘rat dissection’ and ‘wildlife dissection’ practicals. As a class, we will be examining the relationship between an organism’s internal morphology and its ecology. The work will culminate in you producing a scientific paper that places these findings in an evolutionary context. Finer details on the details of the practical exercises and the report to be submitted will be provided on iLearn.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply taxonomic nomenclature to vertebrate groups
  • Relate anatomical and behavioural traits to the diversity of key vertebrate species
  • Associate the major steps in vertebrate evolution to behaviour, body form and physiological function
  • Evaluate different methods for determining evolutionary relationships
  • Classify vertebrate behaviour to functional roles and interactions at community levels
  • Communicate scientific information relevant to vertebrate biology in oral and in written format

Science Communication

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 27/03/2022
Weighting: 10%

 

Australia is a country of extremes and many of our animals are superbly adapted to cope. Working in small groups, students will pick an Australian native animal to study and highlight the key adaptations that have enabled that animal to live in the harsh Australian environment. The group will put together a science communication project to present their findings to the class.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply taxonomic nomenclature to vertebrate groups
  • Relate anatomical and behavioural traits to the diversity of key vertebrate species
  • Associate the major steps in vertebrate evolution to behaviour, body form and physiological function
  • Classify vertebrate behaviour to functional roles and interactions at community levels
  • Communicate scientific information relevant to vertebrate biology in oral and in written format

Weekly activities

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: weekly
Weighting: 10%

 

You will demonstrate your understanding of important concepts and current themes in Vertebrate evolution

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply taxonomic nomenclature to vertebrate groups
  • Relate anatomical and behavioural traits to the diversity of key vertebrate species
  • Associate the major steps in vertebrate evolution to behaviour, body form and physiological function
  • Evaluate different methods for determining evolutionary relationships
  • Classify vertebrate behaviour to functional roles and interactions at community levels

Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 40%

 

The final exam will cover both lecture and practical material

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply taxonomic nomenclature to vertebrate groups
  • Relate anatomical and behavioural traits to the diversity of key vertebrate species
  • Associate the major steps in vertebrate evolution to behaviour, body form and physiological function
  • Evaluate different methods for determining evolutionary relationships
  • Classify vertebrate behaviour to functional roles and interactions at community levels

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook