BIOL 208 Biodiversity

This course will introduce students already familiar with ecology and the basic mechanisms of micro and macroevolution to the concepts of biodiversity, speciation, and phylogeny. Students will learn methods for constructing and interpreting phylogenies. The course will survey organisms in three major domains of life (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya) as well as nonliving infectious agents such as viruses. Within the domain Eukarya, the course will expand on diversity, adaptation, and phylogeny within the Kingdoms Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. Organismal form and function (as well as animal development) will be examined through the lens of evolution and natural selection.

Credits

4

Prerequisite

Pre- or corequisite: BIOL 102 (Must be taken no earlier than the Fall 2016 semester) or BIOL 142

Hours Weekly

3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab weekly

Course Objectives

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the biodiversity concept as well as its evolutionary and ecological significance.
2. Explain the biological species concept and major mechanisms for speciation.
3. Apply basic methods of phylogenetic construction and phylogeny interpretation.
4. Describe the defining features and evolutionary interrelationships of organisms in three domains of life (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya) as well as the placement of nonliving infectious agents (such as viruses) in the scheme of life.
5. Describe the defining features, adaptations, and evolutionary interrelationships of eukaryotic organisms in the kingdoms Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
6. Communicate biological concepts using appropriate symbols, notations and vocabulary related to biodiversity.
7. Apply scientific reasoning processes to determine the taxonomic identity of living organisms.
8. Apply appropriate scientific reasoning processes to solve problems related to biodiversity concepts and analyze, evaluate, justify, and interpret the reasonableness of a solution.

Course Objectives

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the biodiversity concept as well as its evolutionary and ecological significance.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Exam questions
2. Explain the biological species concept and major mechanisms for speciation.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Exam questions

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Answer key
3. Apply basic methods of phylogenetic construction and phylogeny interpretation.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Answer key
4. Describe the defining features and evolutionary interrelationships of organisms in three domains of life (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya) as well as the placement of nonliving infectious agents (such as viruses) in the scheme of life.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Exam questions

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Answer key
5. Describe the defining features, adaptations, and evolutionary interrelationships of eukaryotic organisms in the kingdoms Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Exam questions

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Answer key
6. Communicate biological concepts using appropriate symbols, notations and vocabulary related to biodiversity.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Lab 8: Seedless vascular Plants Students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency at explaining plant life cycles using appropriate symbols, notations and vocabulary. Specifically students will demonstrate proper use of the terms diploid, haploid, meiosis, mitosis, gametes, ovum, sperm, zygote, spores, antheridium, archegonia, sporophyte, gametophyte, sorus, indusium, sporangium, and annulus. Students shall also use proper symbols to distinguish diploid and haploid structure in plant life cycles.

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Scientific Reasoning Rubric

   Scientific Reasoning

   • SR1
7. Apply scientific reasoning processes to determine the taxonomic identity of living organisms.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Lab 5: The Protista Kingdom: Algae & Fungus Like Protists. Use of a dichotomous key to identify types of algae. The student demonstrates consist proper use of a dichotomous key to identify the scientific name for an organism.

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Scientific Reasoning Rubric

   Scientific Reasoning

   • SR2
8. Apply appropriate scientific reasoning processes to solve problems related to biodiversity concepts and analyze, evaluate, justify, and interpret the reasonableness of a solution.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Biodiversity Case Study Questions: Students will work collaboratively on a multipart case study related to parasites and tropical disease. The student will analyze potential diagnosis and then justify the basis for their final consensus on the final diagnosis. Students will evaluate the basis for treating the case study patient, and working to prevent the further spread of this disease.

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Scientific Reasoning Rubric

   Scientific Reasoning

   • SR3