This course aims to provide basic knowledge about animals and their relationships with the other organisms and the environment using an evolutionary and adaptive approach. Cultural and educational objectives of this course is the acquisition of basic knowledge on: zoological classification and systematics; structural and functional organization of animals; methods of reproduction; development; behavior; phylogeny; distribution. Other objectives are also the acquisition of methodological skills, such as the recognition of the main animal taxa, monitoring techniques, comparative analysis of macro and microscopic anatomy and the preparation of samples to be observed with optical microscopes. The expected learning outcomes concern in-depth knowledge of animal biodiversity, in order to develop an awareness of their fundamental ecological role and the need of monitoring and protection for the sake of the survival of all ecosystems
scheda docente
materiale didattico
- Animal biodiversity (concepts and approach to the study of biodiversity)
- Introduction to disciplines studying biodiversity
- History and concepts of evolutionary thought
- Concept of inter- and intraspecific diversity and variability
- Concept of species and speciation
- Genetic drift, inbreeding, founder effect, bottleneck
- Evolutionary processes: extinction, adaptive radiation
- Adaptive processes and ecological niche
- Interaction between organisms (predation, parasitism, sociality, etc.)
- Concepts of community ecology
Rupert et al. Zoologia degli invertebrati, Ediotore: Piccin
Programma
Zoology (general part)- Animal biodiversity (concepts and approach to the study of biodiversity)
- Introduction to disciplines studying biodiversity
- History and concepts of evolutionary thought
- Concept of inter- and intraspecific diversity and variability
- Concept of species and speciation
- Genetic drift, inbreeding, founder effect, bottleneck
- Evolutionary processes: extinction, adaptive radiation
- Adaptive processes and ecological niche
- Interaction between organisms (predation, parasitism, sociality, etc.)
- Concepts of community ecology
Testi Adottati
Hickmann et al. Zoologia, Editore: McGraw-Hill Education (a cura di di Arizza Vincenzo, Coppellotti Olimpia, Guidolin Laura)Rupert et al. Zoologia degli invertebrati, Ediotore: Piccin
Modalità Frequenza
MandatoryModalità Valutazione
The examination will consist of an oral assessment consisting of theoretical questions and recognition of zoological specimens.