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Diversity and Conservation of Mammals

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Diversity and Conservation of Mammals MAMMAL LAB SYLLABUS - 2013 Mammal Diversity – Lab Syllabus – 2013 (Lectures TuTh 12:30 – 1:50 in BAKER 145) Sections: All Lab Sections to be held in Illick 238 Teaching Assistants: Sec 01 - M 5:00 – 8:00 Name - Elaina Burns Sec 02 - Tu 3:30 – 6:20 Name - Lindsey Scales Sec 03 - W 2:55 – 4:50 Sec 04 - Th 3:30 – 6:20 Goals: to become familiar with the diversity, distinguishing characteristics and functional morphology of the Class Mammalia to learn the distinguishing characteristics of each of the Orders of Mammals to be able to identify and describe ecological characteristics of all mammals of NYS to become familiar with some methods for studying mammals in the lab and the field to develop a meaningful understanding of the conservation status of mammals Required Books: Manual of Mammalogy (by Martin et al.) Mammals of North America (Kays & Wilson) Schedule of Activities and Assignments . Date Exercise Chapter in Lab Manual/Discussion Topics Week of January 14 - NO LAB THIS WEEK (Jan. 21, MLK Day, students in Monday’s lab attend section later in the week) Week of January 21 - Chapter 1 - Introduction; Mammal Orders of the World – MONOTREMATA TO MARSUPALIA (DIDELPHIMORPHIA) Week of January 28 - Chapter 2 – Skull; Orders SORICOMORPHA, ERINACEOMORPHA, AFROSORICIDA, DERMOPTERA, CHIROPTERA, SCANDENTIA & PRIMATES Week of February 4 - Ch 3 – Teeth 4 - Integument; LAGOMORPHA, RODENTIA, MACROSCELIDEA, TUBULINDENTATA, PILOSA, CINGULATA & PHOLIDOTA Week of February 11 - Ch 5 – Horns and Antlers, 6 - Post-cranial skeleton; PROBOSCIDEA, HYRACOIDEA, ARTIODACTYLA, PERISSODACTYLA Week of February 18 - CH 7 – Locomotion; Marine Mammals adaptations/taxonomy: CARNIVORA, CETACEA, SIRENIA Week of February 25 - Morphometrics, Systematics and Evolution; Preview Practical Week of March 4 - Practical 1 (Mammal World Orders and Exercises in Lab Manual) followed by Museums and specimen prep. ****Hand in Lab notebook**** March 10 – 17, Spring Break Holiday ***************************** MAMMAL LAB SYLLABUS - 2013 Discussions: in addition to surveying the diversity of NYS mammals, the following labs will include discussions of reading material on biodiversity and conservation of mammals. Each week of discussion, write a one-paragraph summary and one question relevant to this week’s reading material. (15% lab grade) -------------------------------------------------------------- ***Each week’s readings are available on the course web*** D-1 Week of March 18 - Specimens Extinct and Endangered Mammals; Megafaunal Extinctions NYS mammal families – Didelphidae, Soricidae, Talpidae; Hand in written summary and question, discuss reading D-2 Week of March 25 – NYS Mammals: Vespertilionidae, Canidae, Ursidae, Procyonidae; Rediscovery, Introductions Video – US Endangered spp.; Hand in written summary and question, discuss reading D-3 Week of April 1 - NYS Mammals: Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Felidae, Cervidae; Borderlands and War Hand in written summary and question, discuss reading D-4 Week of April 8 - NYS Mammals: Sciuridae; Castoridae; Muridae (Murinae) Rewilding; Assisted Migration Cricetidae (Neotominae) Hand in written summary and question, discuss reading D-5 Week of April 15 - NYS Mammals: Cricetidae (Arvicolinae); Dipodidae; Climate; Case Study Erethizontidae, Leporidae; Philippines Mammals Hand in written summary and question, discuss reading, Practical Preview; Week of April 22 - Practical 2 (Cumulative) – NYS Mammals, World Orders, (NO DISCUSSION, Conservation Biology, … JUST THE PRACTICAL) ***Hand in Lab Notebook*** Optional Field Trips: 1 – Snow tracking: Saturday or Sunday mornings; Date and Time TBA weather. 2 – Mammals and Zoos: Rosemont Gifford Zoo (Syracuse) – Diversity, Conservation and Behavior – April 27 – Saturday (9 am – 3 pm) Grading: The Lab/Discussion portion of this course is worth 1/4 (25%) of your Grade for the lab part of the course. This will be apportioned as follows: *****Attendance in Lab is Mandatory; unexcused absence -5% final lab grade: Practicals: each is worth 25% (total = 50% for two practicals) of your lab grade. Notebook, checked every week. It should include thorough and neat notes from each lab, and from your discussions of reading assignments. Notebook grade is worth 25% of course grade. Written Assignments for Discussions: 5 written assignments, including one for each discussion period. Each week of discussion, write a one-paragraph summary and one question relevant to this week’s reading material. (15% lab grade) Participation in Discussions is worth 10% of your lab grade. .
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