NCSR EDUCATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE www.ncsr.org INTRODUCTION TO MAMMALOGY NORTHWEST CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES (NCSR) CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SALEM, OREGON DUE # 0101498 FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE FOUNDATION Introduction to Mammalogy The Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources is an Advanced Technological Education project funded by the National Science Foundation. Introduction to Mammalogy was developed by Mark Grover, Ph.D. at Feather River College, Quincy, California and was tested and re- vised at Itasca Community College, Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Technology education programs in which this course is incorporated are described fully in the Center’s report entitled, “Visions for Natu- ral Resource Education and Ecosystem Science for the 21st Centu- ry.” Copies are available free of charge. The authors and the Center grant permission for the unrestricted use of these materials for educational purposes. Use them freely! Course materials will also be posted on our website: www.ncsr.org Please feel free to comment or provide input. Wynn W. Cudmore Ph.D., Principal Investigator Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources Chemeketa Community College P. O. Box 14007 Salem, OR 97309 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 503-399-6514 Table of Contents Introduction to Mammalogy COURSE OUTLINE ......................................................................................................................1 NOTES FOR INSTRUCTORS ..........................................................................................................7 LABS & ACTIVITIES MAMMALIAN SKULL STRUCTURE .................................................................................................9 HANDOUT ............................................................................................................................ 14 MAMMAL CLASSIFICATION ....................................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................. 25 FIELD TECHNIQUES ................................................................................................................. 28 APPENDIX I ........................................................................................................................... 31 APPENDIX II .......................................................................................................................... 34 MEASURING & ASSESSING SPECIES DIVERSITY I ......................................................................... 37 NOTES FOR INSTRUCTORS ....................................................................................................... 43 MEASURING & ASSESSING SPECIES DIVERSITY II ....................................................................... 45 NOTES FOR INSTRUCTORS ....................................................................................................... 50 MEASURING & ASSESSING SPECIES DIVERSITY III ...................................................................... 55 LINE TRANSECT METHODS OF ESTIMATING ABUNDANCE ............................................................ 63 HANDOUT ............................................................................................................................ 71 ABUNDANCE INDICES .............................................................................................................. 77 NOTES FOR INSTRUCTORS ....................................................................................................... 80 STUDENT ASSESSMENTS MID-TERM ..............................................................................................................................84 LAB FINAL ..............................................................................................................................89 EXAM I ...............................................................................................................................9 3 FINAL EXAM ...........................................................................................................................97 Mammalogy Course Outline Introduction to Mammalogy 3 credits—2 hours lecture/3 hours lab Introduction to Mammalogy is a 3-credit, laboratory/field-based course. It was developed to introduce students in a two-year Wildlife Technology program to the characteristics, evolu- tionary history, classification, adaptations, ecology, and natural history of mammals. TEXTS Feldhamer, G.A., L.C. Drickamer, S.H. Vessey, and J.F. Merritt. 1999. Mammalogy: Adapta- tion, Diversity, and Ecology. WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA. 563 pp. Burt, W. H. and R. P. Grosseheider. 1980. Mammals of North American (Peterson field guide series). Houghlin Mifflin Company, Boston, MA. 290 pp. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL Wilson, D.E., F.R. Cole, J.D. Nichols, R. Rudran, and M.S. Foster (eds.). 1996. Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 409 pp. COURSE DESCRIPTION This is a comprehensive course in basic mammalogy. Lectures emphasize the characteristics, evolutionary history, classification, adaptations, ecology, and natural history of mammals. Field techniques for the study of mammalian biodiversity and abundance are emphasized in the laboratory. Students design and implement research projects and apply the scientific method to test hypotheses. 1 Course Outline COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to: 1. Understand the significance of the major evolutionary innovations in the ancestors of mammals. 2. Comprehend the benefits and limitations of physiological and neurological adaptations of mammals, particularly as they relate to interactions between mammals and their environment. 3. Appreciate the complex reproductive strategies and social behavior of mammals. 4. Appreciate mammalian diversity, and identify the general traits of major groups of mammals. 5. Identify many of the species of mammals native to the western U.S. 6. Gain a working knowledge of the basic ecology and conservation biology of mammals. 7. Use wildlife survey techniques for identifying sign, evaluating biodiversity, assessing habitat associations, and estimating population densities of mammal species at selected study sites. 8. Conduct very basic quantitative analyses of ecological data. 9. Formulate hypotheses and design a research project to test a hypothesis. 10. Write a research paper that reports the results of a study in a format of a scientific journal. 2 Course Outline STUDENT ASSESSMENT The level of comprehension and mastery of the material by the students will be evaluated through classroom discussions and by monitoring the performance of students in laboratory exercises, exams, and additional duties and assignments. Grades are based on a point system with an approximate breakdown as follows: Lab exams (100 points each, 2 exams) 200 points Lab assignments & reports 100 points Field notebook 50 points Research paper 100 points Midterm exam 100 points Final exam 100 points Attendance & participation 50 points The term’s grade is based on a percentage of total points accumulated according to the follow- ing schedule: 90-100% (628-700 points) A 80-89% (557-627 points) B 65-79% (452-556 points) C 55-64% (382-451 points) D <55% (0-381 points) F 3 Course Outline TOPICS I. General characteristics of modern mammals II. Mammalian evolution A. Origins of mammals 1. Beginnings: Characteristics of pelycosaurs and other early synapsids 2. Adaptations: Dentition, jaw structure, and other skeletal traits 3. Advanced therapsids and the first mammals B. Major adaptive radiations 1. Early lineages and their ecological specializations 2. Biogeographical influences 3. Convergence among major groups of mammals III. General biology of mammals A. Mammalian environmental physiology 1. Thermoregulation a. Dealing with cold b. Dealing with heat 2. Torpor, hibernation, & biological timing B. The mammalian nervous system 1. The mammalian brain 2. Sensory systems in mammals C. Mammalian reproductive biology 1. Comparative strategies of monotremes, marsupials, and eutherians 2. Reproductive cycles a. Hormonal regulation b. Delayed fertilization and implantation c. Environmental cues IV. Mammalian biodiversity A. Biology of monotremes and marsupials 1. Classification, characteristics, & biogeography 2. Natural history & habitat associations B. The rise of eutherians 1. General classification, biodiversity, and biogeography of eutherians 2. Biology of the sloths, armadillos, anteaters, etc; “life with a low metabolic rate” C. Insectivores (shrews and moles): life with a high metabolic rate D. Chiroptera (bats) 1. Classification & characteristics 2. The biology and physics of echolocation 3. Biogeography and natural history 4 Course Outline E. Primates and related orders 1. Scandentia (tree shrews) 2. Dermoptera (colugos or flying lemurs) 3. Primates a. General biology b. Evolutionary history c. The evolution of hominid primates, including humans F. Rodentia 1. Diversity, characteristics, and general biology 2. Classification, natural history, and habitat associations G. Lagomorpha 1. Classification, characteristics, & biogeography 2. Functional biology & behavior 3. Natural history & habitat associations H. Carnivora 1. Classification, characteristics, & biogeography