Texas A&M University-Texarkana - Course Syllabus BIOL 443/543 Paleozoology, Fall 2019

Instructor: Dr. Ben Neuman Office Location: SCIT 318G Phone: (903) 334 6654 Email: [email protected] Course Description: This course looks at the evolution of modern animals by bringing together recent advances in genetics with the fossil record. This course will provide an evolutionary perspective on the origins of important groups of animals from single-celled organisms to modern humans through lectures, discussions and hands-on workshops with fossils.

Prerequisites: Invertebrate zoology or permission from instructor. Course Delivery Method: Face to Face Textbooks/Resources: This course will also draw on papers available through the Texas A&M- Texarkana Library, which will be made available to students through Blackboard. You will also need some blank paper and pencils for lab work. If you are able, please bring a laptop or device capable of searching the internet and recording notes to class. If you do, please remember to bring a power supply.

Useful books to pick up used if you want to learn more, but not required: Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record. Benton MJ, paperback ISBN: 978-1- 4051-4157-4 The Rise of Animals: Evolution and Diversification of the Kingdom Animalia. Mikhail A. Fedonkin, James G. Gehling, Kathleen Grey, Guy M. Narbonne, and Patricia Vickers-Rich Hardback, 344 pages. ISBN:9780801886799 January 2008

Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Learn to identify important groups of animals in the fossil record by synthesizing information about comparative anatomy and taphonomy 2. Analyze trace fossil data to better understand the behavior and ecology of extinct animals 3. Synthesize genetic, ecological and fossil information to reach a deeper understanding of modern animal biology 4. Argue persuasively about the evolutionary affinities of modern and fossil organisms using molecular and fossil data 5. Evaluate competing explanations for animal evolution in terms of the available molecular and fossil data

Evaluation: Most sessions will contain a mix of lecture, analysis and practical training. Each session will include a short practical to help build a deeper understanding of concepts such as extinction, functional anatomy, evolution, development, self-defense mechanisms and ecology while building a involve hands-on examination, analysis and dissection of fossils. Missed classes and practicals may be made up, with an approved excuse and instructor’s permission, by a 2-page report on the topics that were covered in that class, due in before the next class session.

There will be two exams, each covering three sections of the course material, plus a quiz over the

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last section. The format for each exam will be short-answer. Each week we will add one or two potential exam questions to a question bank, that will be available for practice and review before the test.

Graduate work will be graded at an appropriately higher standard. Additionally, students in BIOL 543 will complete a project paper either on a piece of original paleontological research, or a paper that discusses the evolution of a particular animal or trait in terms of both fossil data and genetic data. Guidelines are around 20 pages including figures and references. Project papers should properly reference at least 10 sources, and will be worth an additional 500 points. Undergraduates may, if they wish, do a 10-page version of the project for up to 250 points of extra credit.

Field Trips: There are two optional but recommended field trips planned for this class. Each will take a full day scheduled outside of the normal class period. Transportation will be provided. Details and safety requirements will be given the week before each trip.

Course Outline: Week In-class topic Monday ______Wednesday ______Section 1 - Extinctions and Explosions 1. Aug26 Taphonomy, Snowball Earth Aug28 Ediacara 2. Sep2 Labor Day – no class Sep4 Porifera/Chancelloriida Section 2 – Functional Anatomy 3. Sep9 Functional anatomy Sep11 Kimberella, Mollusca origins 4. Sep16 Cephalopoda origins Sep18 Dr. R. Davis: Tectonics, sea level Saturday 21 SEP 2019 Fossil Trip 1 Section 3 - Evolution 5. Sep23 Brachiopod biology & origins Sep25 Brachiopod shell evolution 6. Sep30 Review for Midterm 1 Oct2 Test 1 (Section 1-3 only) Section 4 – Growth & Development 7. Oct7 Bryozoa, Biomineralization Oct9 Ctenophora & Cnidaria origins 8. Oct14 Tabulata and Scleractinia Oct16 Tetracorallia and Hexacorallia Section 5 – Biomineralization and self-defense 9. Oct21 Chengjiang, Arthropod origins Oct23 Panarthropoda, Lobopodia 10. Oct28 Trilobites, eye evolution Oct30 Ichnofossils Saturday 2 NOV 2019 Fossil Trip 2 Section 6 – Ecology and the forces that shape it 11. Nov4 Echinoderm origins, Paleoecology Nov6 Crinoids/Holothuria 12. Nov11 Review for Midterm 2 Nov13 Test 2 (Section 4-6 only) Section 7 – Chordate Evolution 13. Nov18 Chordate origins, Vetulicolia Nov20 Dinosaurs to Birds 14. Nov25 Dr. R. Davis: Reefs Nov27 Thanksgiving – no class 15. Dec2 Human Evolution Dec4 Quiz (Section 7 only) Biol 543 and Extra Credit projects due before midnight Dec6

For University policies on Academic Integrity, A&M-Texarkana Email Address, and the Drop Policy, please refer to Syllabus Policies http://bit.ly/TAMUT_SyllabusPolicies

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For policies governing all web-enhanced and online courses, please refer to Online Education http://bit.ly/TAMUT_OnlineEducation

Grading Scale: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = 0-59%

Undergraduate (BIOL 443): 1. Test 1 300 points 2. Test 2 300 points 3. Quiz over section 7 100 points 4. Practicals 300 points Total 1000 points Graduate (BIOL 543): as above, but also including 5. Project paper 500 points Total 1500 points Disability Accommodations: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal non- discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this law requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Office of Student Life in UC room 126, or call (903)223-3116. For additional information visit Disability Services http://bit.ly/TAMUT_DisabilityServices

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