Syllabus 2015
Professor: Anthony D. Barnosky, 5002 VLSB, barnosky@berkeley.edu
Office Hours: TBA
GSI: Allison Stegner, 5008 VLSB, astegner@berkeley.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Lectures: Wednesday and Friday 11 am – noon
Discussion: Thursday noon-1 pm
Lab: Thursday 1-4 pm Friday, 2-5 pm
All in 3007 VLSB
Text:
Lecture: Analysis of Vertebrate Structure, 5th Edition, M. Hildebrand and G. E. Goslow, Jr.
Lab: Handouts and downloads; also useful towards the end of the course is Vertebrate Taphonomy, R. Lee Lyman.
Grading:
Lecture—2 midterms (30% each), 1 comprehensive final exam (40%)
Lab and Discussion: weekly lab quizzes (70%), lab project (30%)
Week 1
Jan 21 – Lecture 1: Course organization
Jan 22 – No Discussion Section
Jan 22 – No Lab
Jan 23 – Lecture 2: Basics of evolutionary time, begin Chordate lecture
Jan 23 – Lecture 3: (instead of lab): Chordate evolution 1: Tunicates to Haikouella
Reading: Chapters 1 & 2
Week 2
Jan 28 – (Tony in LA) – no lecture
Jan 29 – Discussion TBA
Jan 29 – LAB 1: Introduction to the Skeleton; learning the major bones
Jan 30 – Lecture 4: Chordate evolution 2: Burgess to Gnathostomes
Jan 30 – LAB 1 CONTINUED
Reading: Chapters 1 & 2
Week 3
Feb 4 – Lecture 5: Chordate evolution 3: Fish heads and beyond
Feb 5 – Discussion TBA
Feb 5 – LAB 2: Fish heads (lots of bones to learn)
Feb 6 – Tony at Origins meeting, no lecture; use as extra lab time
Feb 6 – CONTINUE LAB 2
Reading: Chapter 3, 4
Week 4
Feb 11 – Lecture 6: Development of Hard Tissue 1
Feb 12 – Lecture 7: Development of Hard Tissue 2 (instead of Discusssion):
Feb 12 – LAB 3: Herp and Bird Skulls
Feb 13 – Tony at AAAS - Discussion TBA (instead of Lecture)
Feb 13 – CONTINUE LAB 3
Reading: Chapter 5, 6
Week 5
Feb 18 – Lecture 8: Development and Intro to Biomechanics
Feb 19 – Lecture 9: The Skull: Nerves, Muscles, and Jaws (instead of Discussion)
Feb 19 – LAB 4: Mammal Skulls and Teeth
Feb 20 – Lecture 10: Teeth: growth and function
Feb 20 – CONTINUE LAB 4
Reading: Chapter 22 (Biomechanics)
Week 6
Feb 25 – Lecture 11: Teeth, identification and function
Feb 26 – Discussion TBA
Feb 26 – LAB 5: Mammal Teeth
Feb 27 – Lecture 12: Midterm review and skull mechanics, teeth
Reading: Chapter 7 (Teeth), 12 (Digestive system), 30 (Feeding)
Week 7
Mar 4 – Lecture 13: MIDTERM EXAM 1
Mar 5 – Discussion TBA
Mar 5 – LAB 6: Vertebrae
Mar 6 – Lecture 14: Water-land Transition 1
Mar 6 – CONTINUE LAB 6
Reading: Chapter 9 (Body skeleton), 17 (Post-cranial nervous system)
Week 8
Mar 11 – Lecture 15: Water-land Transition 2
Mar 12 – Lecture 16: Water-land Transition 3
Mar 12 – LAB 7: Limb Girdles
Mar 13 – Lecture 17: TBA
Mar 13 – Lecture 18: (during first hour of lab) Bone remodeling / orthopedic surgery; CONTINUE LAB 7
Reading: Chapter 4 (p. 51-52), 23 (Form, function, body size), 29 (Energetics and locomotion)
Week 9
Mar 18 – (Tony at Extinctions Meeting) No Lecture
Mar 19 – (Tony at Extinctions Meeting) Discussion: TBA
Mar 19 – (Tony at Extinctions Meeting) LAB 8: Arms and legs
Mar 20 – (Tony at Extinctions Meeting) No lecture, extra lab time
Mar 20 –(Tony at Extinctions Meeting) CONTINUE LAB 8
Reading: Chapter 13 (Respiratory system), 15 (Excretion, Osmoregulation), 16 (Reproduction)
Week 10
Mar 25 – Spring Break
Mar 26 – Spring Break
Mar 27 – Spring Break
Week 11
Apr 1 – Lecture 19: Vertebral column, Limbs and limb girdles
Apr 2 – Discussion TBA
Apr 2 - LAB 9: Hands and feet
Apr 3 – Lecture 20: Running and Jumping
Apr 3 – CONTINUE LAB 9
Reading: Chapter 24, 25
Week 12
Apr 8 – Lecture 21: Digging and Crawling, Swimming, Climbing and Flying,
Apr 9 – Discussion TBA
Apr 9 – LAB 10: Functional Morphology
Apr 10 – Lecture 22: Review for Midterm 2
Apr 10 – CONTINUE LAB 10
Reading: Chapter 26, 27, 28
Week 13
Apr 15 – Lecture 23: MIDTERM EXAM 2
Apr 16 – Discussion TBA
Apr 16 – LAB 11a: Statistics (Class project)
Apr 17 – Lecture 24: Introduction to Lab Project
Apr 17 –LAB 11b: Taxon Identification (Class project)
Reading: Lyman, methods of counting bones
Week 14
Apr 22 – Lecture 25: Taphonomy
Apr 23 – Discussion TBA
Apr 23 – LAB 12: Taphonomy (Class project)
Apr 24 – Lecture 26: Post-mortem Modification
Apr 24 – CONTINUE LAB 12 (Class project)
Reading: TBA
Week 15
Apr 29 – Lecture 27 Class Project
Apr 30 – Discussion: Class Project
Apr 30 – LAB 13: Class Project
May 1 – Lecture 28: Class Project
May 1 – CONTINUE LAB 13 (Class Project)
Reading: TBA
Week 16
May 6 – Dead week
May 7 – Dead week
May 8 – Class Project Report Due
LECTURE FINAL EXAM
Final Exam Group: 8: TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015 7-10P
