Note: Attendance at all class sessions is required; participation improves your grade significantly. Examinations will be based on the material covered in lecture and laboratory, thus keep effective lecture and lab notes. Lectures are developed primarily from the readings in the text and the following objectives. The objectives are provided to you only as a general learning aid; during the course, some additional material may be covered and some items listed below may be omitted.
Vertebrate History and General Diversity
1. Given a geological time scale, locate the earliest fossils of each class of vertebrates and state the approximate number of years B.P. when each appeared.
2. From a description of each, name the three species definitions commonly used in zoology, and the distinguished biologist most closely identified with each.
3. Arrange the major groups of chordate animals in order from most speciose to least speciose (number of species).
4. Provide the following approximate numerical information from memory: (a) number of species of vertebrates known, (b) number of species of teleost fishes known, (c) number of species of birds known, (d) number of species of mammals known.
Protochordates and Vertebrate Origins
5. Associate a variety of facts about structure, habitat, feeding habits, reproduction, and life history with the urochordates, and cephalochordates.
6. Describe the structure and function of the pharynx in the non-vertebrate chordates.
7. Make a simple cladistic diagram illustrating the hypothesized phylogenetic relationships among the cephalochordates, hagfishes, and vertebrates; indicate at least one synapomorphic (shared derived) trait of each group.
8. Describe the significance of paedomorphic development to theories on the origin of the earliest vertebrates.
9. Describe the major changes that occurred as an amphioxus-like ancestor evolved into the first vertebrates and the major selection pressure resulting in these changes.
Fishes: Characteristics and Major Groups
10. From a list of animal characteristics, identify those that are diagnostic of vertebrates.
11. From a set of vertebrate characteristics, identify those that are common to all chordates.
12. Associate a variety of facts about fish diversity with the appropriate taxon (= taxonomic group).
13. Define the terms oviparous, ovoviviparous, viviparous, monoecious, and dioecious.
Fishes: Lampreys, Hagfishes, and Sharks
14. From a list of characteristics, recognize those that separate lampreys, hagfishes, and chondrichthyes, respectively, from bony fishes (Osteichthyes).
15. Compare lampreys and hagfishes in regard to: (a) world distribution, (b) habitat, (c) method of feeding, (d) morphology of the mouth, (e) reproductive biology, (f) larval life, and (g) knotting behavior.
16. Diagram the "typical" lamprey life cycle, including spawning behavior, larval life, metamorphosis, and adult feeding habits (parasitic versus non-parasitic).
17. Provide the following numerical information from memory: (a) number of species of lampreys, (b) number of species of hagfishes, (c) number of species of chondrichthyans.
18. List, in order of priority, the senses used by a shark in locating and consuming prey.
19. In a few sentences, describe the reproductive act in sharks, using appropriate terminology for anatomical parts.
Fishes: Success of the Teleosts
20. In a few phrases, compare and contrast physoclistous and physostomous gas bladders.
21. In one well-written paragraph, discuss how body size, jaw construction, reproduction, and buoyancy have contributed to the success of bony fishes.
22. Associate a variety of facts about fish diversity and adaptation with the appropriate taxonomic group.
Fishes of Illinois
23. Recognize the significant contributions of Stephen A. Forbes and Philip W. Smith to our understanding of the distributions of Illinois fishes.
24. Associate major faunistic regions of the midwestern United States with descriptions of their locations and features.
25. List five factors responsible for changes in Illinois fish populations since the turn of the century and identify how each factor has had its effect.
26. Given a list of some Illinois fishes, recognize those that have experienced a dramatic reduction in the last 80 years; enumerate factors that may have caused these reductions.
Evolution, Systematics, and Classification
27. Be able to recognize zoological definitions of the following terms: diversity, taxonomy, systematics, nomenclature, identification, classification, phylogeny, evolution, and speciation.
28. In a sentence or two, describe the basic difference in meaning between each of the following pairs of terms: (a) classifying vs. identifying organisms, (b) taxon vs. taxonomic rank (or category), (c) type-specimen vs. type-locality, (d) binominal nomenclature vs. uninominal nomenclature.
29. Given two words comprising the zoological (scientific) name of a vertebrate species, write the zoological name in proper format and explain each of the conventions used.
30. Given the identification of a common Illinois vertebrate at various taxonomic ranks, arrange these taxa into the Linnaean hierarchy.
31. Be able to recognize and state the phylogenetic hypotheses depicted in a cladogram constructed through phylogenetic systematics (= cladistics); and demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of "sister groups" and "synapomorphies."
32. From a list, recognize those preconditions for allopatric speciation.
33. Compare and contrast: (a) microevolution vs. macroevolution, (b) gradualism vs. punctuated equilibria, (c) ontogeny vs. phylogeny.
Earth History
34. Construct a table that places the breakup of the Paleozoic supercontinent Pangaea (to form Gondwanaland, Laurasia and the present continents) and the origin of agnathans, chondrichthyans, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals in the context of the Geological Time Scale.
35. Date the following events: (a) Origin of vertebrates as continental land masses merged to form the subtropical supercontinent called Pangaea, (b) breakup of Pangaea into Gondwanaland and Laurasia, (c) formation of the Himalaya Mountains from the impact of the Indian subcontinent against southern Asia, and (d) the extensive radiation of freshwater fishes.
36. Describe, in a short paragraph, the relationship between plate tectonics and the concept of continental drift.
37. List four different possible biological consequences of plate tectonics.
Amphibians: Characteristics and Groups
38. From a list of characteristics, recognize those that distinguish amphibians from other tetrapods.
39. In a few phrases, characterize the amphibian skin in terms of (1) degree of keratinization, (2) number and functions of integumentary glands, and (3) importance in respiration.
40. Associate a variety of facts about amphibian diversity with the appropriate taxonomic group.
41. List six major problems faced by the Devonian rhipidistian fishes/early amphibians making the transition from water to land; describe briefly how amphibians dealt with each.
Amphibians: Life History and Development
42. Compare the site and method of egg insemination between (a) ambystomatid salamanders and ranid frogs, (b) the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei) and caecilians, and (c) the hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) and the viviparous Salamandra atra.
43. Given a list of frogs (by common or zoological name), recognize descriptions of parental care practiced by each.
44. Diagram the "typical" amphibian life cycle involving metamorphosis, using proper terminology for the stages; distinguish between the adaptive modifications termed "direct development" and "paedomorphosis," and provide examples of species that illustrate each.
45. Characterize the feeding habits of (a) larval salamanders and caecilians, (b) frog tadpoles, and (c) adult amphibians.
46. List five major anatomical changes that take place during frog metamorphosis; recognize the roles played in metamorphosis by the hypothalamus, thyroxin, and prolactin.
Amphibians of Illinois
47. From a list of Illinois species, recognize those that are (1) commonly found around campus and (2) considered endangered in Illinois.
48. From a list, recognize factors important in the present day distribution of selected species of amphibians in Illinois.
49. Recognize and describe a variety of biological attributes of selected species discussed during lecture.
Vertebrate Osmoregulation
50. Define the terms euryhaline, stenohaline, hyperosmotic, hyposmotic, osmoconformer, osmoregulator, ion regulator, and give an example of each.
51. List the four means by which freshwater teleost fishes, marine teleost fishes, and marine elasmobranchs cope with the osmotic stress of their respective environments.
52. Identify from a list those adaptations that allow a desert mammal (such as a kangaroo rat) to survive in an environment with no available water to drink.
53. Identify from a list those attributes of the loop of Henle in the mammalian kidney which make it a countercurrent multiplier capable of producing extremely concentrated urine.
54. List the three adaptations that permit marine birds to drink sea water without the ability to produce urine more concentrated than human urine.
55. Construct a table listing the unique osmoregulatory problems of vampire bats, crab-eating frogs, and African lungfish and the equally unique adaptations by which each of these three species copes with its problems.
Reptiles: Characteristics and Major Groups
56. From a list of characteristics, recognize those that distinguish reptiles from other amniote tetrapods.
57. Associate a variety of facts about reptilian diversity with the appropriate taxonomic group.
58. List and describe five features that distinguish the cleidoic eggs of reptiles, birds, and mammals from the anamniotic eggs of fishes and amphibians.
59. Correlate the primary excretory products of reptiles with habitat.
Vertebrate Thermoregulation
60. Define and distinguish the terms: poikilothermic, heterothermic, homeothermic, ectothermic, endothermic, thermogenesis, and thermoregulation.
61. Draw graphs illustrating the relationship between body temperature (Tb) and ambient temperature (Ta) for vertebrates that practice: (1) poikilothermy, (2) heterothermy, (3) homeothermy, (4) behavioral thermoregulation, and (5) poikilothermic thermoregulation.
62. List three advantages and three disadvantages of ectothermy.
63. Compare and contrast the advantages of ectothermy versus the advantages of endothermy.
64. Recognize how the surface area to volume ratio of an object is affected by changes in size and shape.
65. Recognize the relevance of these physical laws to the trends in sizes and shapes of endothermic vertebrates called Bergmann's Rule and Allen's Rule.
66. List and provide examples of three physiological distinctions between the ways ectotherms and endotherms cope with low ambient temperatures.
67. List the requirements for an arteriovenous rete to function as a countercurrent heat exchanger and give one specific example.
68. List and provide examples of three ways that endotherms cope with high ambient temperatures.
Reptiles: Mesozoic Forms
69. Given descriptive statements about various groups of Mesozoic reptiles, recognize the name of each group.
70. Identify some of the characteristics of dinosaurs that likely contributed to their long dominance of the earth's terrestrial habitats.
71. Describe the various hypothesized explanations for the rise and fall of the "ruling reptiles," and identify some of the supporting evidence for each.
Reptiles of Illinois
72. From a list of Illinois species, recognize those that are (1) commonly found around campus, (2) venomous, (3) considered endangered in Illinois.
73. From a list, recognize factors important in the present day distribution of selected species of reptiles in Illinois.
74. Recognize and describe a variety of biological attributes of selected species discussed during lecture.
Birds: Characteristics and Major Groups
75. Associate a variety of facts about avian diversity with the appropriate taxonomic groups.
76. From a list of characteristics, recognize those that distinguish birds from other living vertebrates.
77. Compare birds and reptiles with respect to a variety of anatomical, physiological, and reproductive features.
78. Recognize the main anatomical characteristics of the fossil bird Archaeopteryx.
79. Recognize those traits of birds that are important to functioning as an effective flying machine.
Birds: Migration, Orientation, and Navigation
80. List three advantages and three disadvantages for Neotropical birds of migrating to North America to breed.
81. List the advantages and disadvantages of nocturnal migration.
82. Recognize from a list those avian navigational cues that are proven and those that are possible, but not yet proven.
83. Define the term "bicoordinate navigational system" and briefly describe why some species of birds are assumed to possess such a system.
Biology of Illinois Birds
84. Recognize from a list of Illinois bird species those that are: (a) permanent residents, (b) seasonal residents, (c) transients, (d) periodic invaders of the state in large numbers, (e) accidental.
85. Recognize from a list of Illinois bird species those that are: (a) introduced, (b) adapted well to human-altered environments, (c) increasing after declines caused by over-hunting, (d) declining because of destruction of wetlands, (e) declined because of environmental contaminants, (f) forest interior, Neotropical migrants, (g) on the state endangered species list, (h) on the federal endangered species list, (i) extinct.
86. Recognize from a list of Illinois bird species one that: (a) hangs its prey on barbed wire fences, (b) nests only on sandy beaches, (c) frequently nests on air fields, (d) is frequently polyandrous, (e) can capture prey using only its sense of hearing, (f) has an excellent sense of smell, (g) is a major wildlife management success story, (h) commonly nests in nest boxes, (i) produces "milk" to feed its young, (j) is an obligate brood parasite, (k) is expanding its range westward, (l) is threatened by increasing hybridization, (m) follows tractors plowing fields, (n) cements its nests together with saliva.
Endangered and Threatened Vertebrates
87. List three factors that predispose Sphenodon punctatus to extinction; list five more characteristics that seem to be related to high probability of extinction in vertebrates generally.
88. List the major causes of present day extinction of vertebrates and identify the single most important cause.
89. List three important legislative acts or international conventions regulating the trade of endangered species of vertebrates, and give the year each took effect.
90. Distinguish between federal endangered species and State of Illinois endangered species.
91. From a list of species, recognize those endangered species that were discussed in lecture and the root cause of their endangerment.
92. Provide five valid reasons why we should care about the loss of species.
Mammals: Origin and Characteristics
93. List reptilian skeletal features that distinguish prototherians from eutherians.
94. List eight anatomical features that are unique to mammals.
95. Contrast reptilian and mammalian diversity in relation to the breakup of Pangaea and resultant continental drift.
96. Identify the most probable origin of the mammals in time and from which reptilian ancestors.
97. From a list of characteristics, recognize those that distinguish prototherians, metatherians, and eutherians as different groups of mammals.
98. Compare prototherian, metatherian, and eutherian mammals in mode of reproduction, length of gestation, and parental care of newborn offspring.
Mammals: Mammalian Diversity
99. Associate a variety of facts about mammalian diversity with the appropriate taxonomic groups.
100. Using Australian marsupials as examples, describe the effect of ecological equivalency on body morphology.
102. Describe anatomical features associated with cursorial, fossorial, volant, and other mammalian locomotor adaptations.
103. Associate the various mammalian dentition types with various feeding habits.
104. Describe the phenomenon of acoustical orientation. Give examples of mammals in which this ability is particularly well developed, and list some of the specific ways in which these mammals put it to use.
Mammals: Primates
105. Identify those traits of primates that are adaptive for an arboreal existence.
106. Associate a variety of primate traits with the appropriate taxonomic group.
107. Identify our closest relatives among the extant (living) primates in decreasing order of relatedness.
108. In brief statements, characterize the ranges of each of the following primate groups: lemurs, tarsiers, platyrrhine monkeys, orangutan, gorillas, hominids.
Mammals of Illinois
109. From a list of Illinois mammals, recognize those that are common, endangered, or extirpated.
110. Match a list of Illinois mammal species with the appropriate taxonomic order.
111. Associate species of Illinois mammals with the major habitat types in which they live.
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Last updated: 12-Aug-04 / ghw