Area: | Department of Environmental Biology |
Credits: | 25.0 |
Contact Hours: | 5.0 |
Lecture: | 2 x 1 Hours Weekly |
Laboratory: | 1 x 3 Hours Weekly |
Fieldwork: | 2 x 1 Days Quarterly |
Prerequisite(s): | 1762 (v.4) Animal Biology 102 or any previous version
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Syllabus: | Lower Chordates. Gondwana Land. Jawless fish, Cartilaginous fish, seas under Capricorn, spermatozoa, bony fish. The making of the bush. Birds and flight. Kookaburras. Desert adaptation. Animal behaviour. Birds and Flight. Monsooned ecosystems. Pigeon dissection. European impacts. Biogeography. Australia's vertebrate fauna. Amphibians. Reptiles. radiation and adaptation. Adaptive radiation. Monotremes and marsupials. Eutherians. Migration. Instinctive behaviour. Mating systems - mammals, birds, mammals. Emu game, dove behaviour. |
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Unit Outcomes: | On successful completion of this unit students will have gained an introduction to the biogeography, taxonomy, evolution, distribution and behavioural patterns of vertebrates and will have undergone a comparative examination of the various chordate groups considering radiation and adaptation. Although there will be an overview of all members of the groups the emphasis will be on Australian examples which will be utilised whenever appropriate. |
Texts and references listed below are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Some units taught offshore are modified at selected locations. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information and approved offshore variations to unit information before finalising study and textbook purchases. |
Unit References: | No prescribed references. |
Unit Texts: | Augee, M. and Fox, M., 2000, 'Biology of Australia and New Zealand', Benjamin Cummings. Pearson Education Australia. Berra, T.M., 1998, 'A Natural History of Australia', Academic Press. San Diego. |
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Unit Assessment Breakdown: | Poster 20%. Poster Presentation 5%. Laboratory Exercises 10%. Field Trip Report 5%. Test 20%. Final Examination 40%. |
Field of Education: | 10900 Biological Sciences (Narrow Grouping) | HECS Band (if applicable): | 2 |
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Extent to which this unit or thesis utilises online information: | Informational | Result Type: | Grade/Mark |
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Availability
| Year | Location | Period | Internal | Area External | Central External | | 2004 | Bentley Campus | Semester 2 | Y | | |
Area
External | refers to external course/units run by the School or Department, offered online or through Web CT, or offered by research. |
Central
External | refers to external course/units run through the Curtin Bentley-based Distance Education Area |
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