- ZOOL 200 (Introduction to Animal Biology)
- ZOOL 320 (Vertebrate Embryology)
- ZOOL 321 (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy)
- ZOOL 325 (Vertebrate Evolution)
- ZOOL 476/575 (Dinosaur Biology)
- Dinosaurs - A Field Course: A Hands-On Field Course at a working Late Jurassic dinosaur site in Utah
- BIOL 503 (Biosystematics and Evolution)
Introduction to Animal Biology ZOOL 200
Next Offering by Dr. Bonnan: TBA
Course Homepage
Course Description:
Lecture and lab emphasize basic principles in animal biology including scientific inquiry, cell biology, genetics, ecology, evolution, and diversity in animal anatomy and physiology.
Text: TBA
Lab Manual: Barden-Gabbei, L.M. 2007. Zoology 200: Introduction to Animal Biology – Laboratory Manual. Thomson Publishing.
Vertebrate Embryology ZOOL 320
Next Offering: Fall 2010
Course Description:
This course focuses on vertebrate evolutionary development (EvoDevo in modern usage). We examine the evolutionary relationships of vertebrates by comparing and contrasting their embryonic development. We touch on issues related to stem cell research and cloning, and perform IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) approved experiments on zebrafish embryos. These experiments investigate the impact of environmental factors on vertebrate development. Human medical embryology and birth defects are also considered. This is not a course on human development, although human development is briefly considered.
Text: Wilt, F.H. and S. Hake. 2003. Principles of Developmental Biology. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 0393974308
Lab Manual: Tyler, M. S., and Kozlowski, R. N. 2010. DevBio Lab: Vade Mecum3. http://labs.devbio.com/ The lab manual is included in at this site Adobe Acrobat format. You will purchase an access code that will allow you to use the animations, movies, study guides, and lab manual at this site.
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy ZOOL 321
Next Offering: Spring 2011
Course Description:
If you are considering a career in medicine, veterinary science, vertebrate paleontology, or are interested in vertebrate animal function, this course is strongly recommended. We examine the anatomy of the vertebrates (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) from the perspective of their evolutionary histories. This is an intense course and very time consuming, but it will prepare you well for future anatomy courses, human or otherwise. You will learn dissection skills and learn the major systems of the vertebrate body.
Sign up as early as you can for this course – it fills very quickly!
Text: On-line Reader by Dr. Bonnan - available on WebCT Vista to registered students.
Lab Manual: DeIuliis, G. and Pulera, D. 2006. The Dissection of Vertebrates. Elsevier, Academic Press.
Vertebrate Evolution ZOOL 325
Next Offering: TBA
Course Description:
This course explores the evolutionary history of vertebrates through examination of their fossil record and exploration of their skeletal anatomy over time. After a brief introduction to geological and anatomical concepts, the course explores the evolutionary history, relationships, and origins of fishes, amphibians, reptiles (including dinosaurs), birds (which are probably dinosaurs), and mammals. At it’s heart, this course is about how the form and function of vertebrate skeletons tell the story of over 500 million years of vertebrate success and extinction. The course is available to Biology, Geology, and Anthropology majors and minors who have completed a general science sequence (e.g., BIOL 102 & 103). The course is set up so that people without an anatomical background can understand and follow vertebrate evolution. I also recommend taking this course prior to taking Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy.
Text: TBA
Lab Manual: None.
Dinosaur Biology ZOOL 476/575
Next Offering: Fall 2010 [Register Now!]
Course Description:
An overview and introduction to the evolution, diversity, and extinction of the dinosaurs. Specifically, the course covers: the evolutionary relationships of the dinosaurs to one another and to vertebrates broadly, the underlying universalities of vertebrate structure (particularly within dinosaurs), the significant structural and functional transformations that have occurred in various dinosaur lineages, and how such transformations have affected their evolutionary history, and details how hypotheses regarding dinosaurs are constructed and tested.
Dinosaurs: A Field Course*
Next Offering: Summer 2011
Course Description:
A field course introducing students to Jurassic dinosaur paleoecology. Includes required field trip to Utah for on-site excavation, mapping, and interpretation of a Late Jurassic site with dinosaurs and other fossils. Students are responsible for trip expenses.
*You must be in good physical health, capable of lifting ~40 lbs., and tolerant of temperatures exceeding 100°F to attend. This is NOT a vacation – this is REAL scientific work in the field. PREREQUISITIES: An Introductory Sequence in the Qualified Majors/Minors: Biology, Geology, or Anthropology.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Open to All Interested Biology, Geology, and Anthropology Majors – Science Education Majors Welcome!
- Dig Dinosaurs at an Active Site in Utah with a Team of Paleontologists & Other Interested Students
- Learn About Dinosaur Biology and Ecology On Site
- Receive Course Credit While You Help Reconstruct an Amazing Late Jurassic Ecosystem
Texts: Norman, D. 2005. Dinosaurs: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Blakely, R. and Ranney, W. 2008. Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau.
You can find more details about the dig at Dr. Bonnan's blog, Jurassic Journeys.
Biosystematics and Evolution BIOL 503
Next Offering by Dr. Bonnan: TBA
This is an upper level graduate course designed to introduce students to the concepts and applications of evolution, systematics, and taxonomy in biology and related fields. It stresses cladistic methodology, and teaches graduate students how to understand and apply phylogenetic systematics in their own research. Evolutionary concepts, species concepts, concepts of homology, and differences in approaching morphological and molecular data will also be addressed. Whether your interests lie in molecular, botanical, or zoological areas of research, this course will introduce you to what nearly 100% of all researchers utilize to understand living diversity and the evolution of life.
Texts TBA when taught next.