Biol 515 is an upper-division elective course covering the identification of marine invertebrates, their body plans and morphological structures, the physiological and ecological functions of those structures, ecological interactions involving invertebrates, and the evolutionary relationships among invertebrate groups (taxa). The course format includes two lectures and two 3-h lab periods each week. Lectures will be brief, providing an introduction to each taxon and focusing on the key morphological, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary features of each taxon. Most of the students’ learning will occur in the lab portion of the course, in which a wide diversity of living and preserved specimens will be available for observation, dissection, and comparative study. Several field trips will provide opportunities to observe and collect diverse invertebrates in nature.
Prerequisite: Biol 201B “Principles of Organismal Biology”
Students who do not satisfy this prerequisite or demonstrate equivalent preparation must drop Biol 515 during the semester’s first week. In accord with SDSU policy (p. 92 of 2003-04 General Catalog), any student who fails to comply will receive a failing grade. Any student who is unsure whether s/he meets the prerequisite should consult Dr. Hentschel before the end of the first class meeting.
