USAC

Biological diversity
(BIOL, 3 credits, 400-level)
Spring 0!3
San "a#$n, Costa "ica
Class Sc%ed&le' (&esday )'00 to !!'00
*ro+essor' ,orge -ora .scalante
.#ail' /orge0#ora1&sac0&nr0ed&
Class e#ail' *ass2ord'
INTRODUCTION
(%e diversity o+ li+e +or#s is one o+ t%e greatest 2onder and treas&res o+ t%e
2orld0 (%is diversity is t%e prod&ct o+ #illions o+ years o+ evol&tion, and can 3e t%o&g%t
in #any di++erent 2ays0 One co&ld start 3y vie2ing t%e overall perspective o+
evol&tionary ti#e and t%e radiation patterns +ro# single ancestors0 Anot%er 2ay o+
loo4ing at it is to e5plore t%e c%aracteristics o+ nat&ral co##&nities and intricate tapestry
o+ relations%ips 3et2een li+e +or#s living in t%ese co##&nities0 At t%e ecosyste# level,
2e can loo4 at t%e diversity o+ t%e 3iota and recogni6e di++erent 3io#es0 7e can also vie2
diversity glo3ally and collectively 3y esti#ating t%e n&#3er o+ species and deter#ining
2%ere species are concentrated0 8inally, 2e can #eas&re t%e a#o&nt o+ genetic variation
2it%in species to loo4 at t%e genetic level diversity0
(%e st&dy o+ 3iodiversity (and all o+ its co#ponents) is a crossc&tting iss&e
3eca&se %&#an activities %ave a++ected t%e diversity o+ li+e +or#s to t%e point 2%ere large
n&#3ers o+ species %ave gone e5tinct and t%e genetic diversity o+ #any species %as
eroded0 (%ese treats contin&e %ave increase in #agnit&de and several st&dies predict t%at
2e are no2 e5periencing a ne2 era o+ #ass e5tinctions d&e to negative ant%ropocentric
activities0 (%e conservation o+ 3iodiversity can 3e ac%ieved only 3y' 9c%aracteri6ing it,
saving it, and s&staina3ly &sing it:0 (o ac%ieve t%is goal one #&st st&dy li+e diversity, and
;&anti+y it in order to 3e a3le to #onitor it and save it0
OBJECTIVES
(%is co&rse 2ill st&dy 3iodiversity +ro# an evol&tionary perspective and 2ill +oc&s on
t%e co#parative str&ct&re, +&nction and t%e syste#atics o+ living organis#s0 At t%e end
o+ t%is co&rse, t%e st&dent 2ill 3e a3le to'
!0 Understand t%e tree o+ li+e and t%e evol&tionary processes and #ec%anis#s t%at
%ave lead to t%e diversity o+ li+e +or#s0
0 Co#pre%end principles o+ ta5ono#y, syste#atics, and p%ylogeny #a4ing in order
to &nderstand t%e evol&tionary relations%ips a#ong species0
30 "ecogni6e #ayor p%ylogenic gro&ps and t%e c%aracteristics t%at separate eac%
gro&p0
40 "ecogni6e and identi+y Costa "ican organis#s +ro# t%e #ayor p%ylogenic
gro&ps0
TEXTBOOK
Biology. 6
th
Edition. Campbell, Neil A., Jane. B. Reece, Benjamin Cummings,2002.
On-Line Biology Boo4'
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookTOC.html
COURSE OUTLAY/STRUCTURE
(%e co&rse 2ill consist o+ lect&res, videos and 2al4s on t%e ca#p&s0 Lengt% o+ t%e
activities 2ill depend on t%e gro&p st&died0 Lect&res and videos are inti#ately related<
eac% rein+orces t%e ot%er and attendance at 3ot% is cr&cial0
COURSE CALENDAR
7ee4 (opic "eadings
!
Introd&ction to t%e co&rse
.vol&tion and p%ylogenetics
C%apter =, Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter 373! O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
3
>ir&s and *ro4aryotes C%apter !)< C%apter ? Ca#3el, "eece
4 *rotist
C%apter ), Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter %7 O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
@ *lants
C%apter A, 3A Ca#p3el "eece;
Chapter %&'( O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
= 8&ngi
C%apter 3! Campbel) *eece; Chapter
%! O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
? Bo class
)
-id ter#C
.#3rionic develop#ent
pp0 A)A-!0! Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter '+ O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
A Inverte3rates I
(SpongesCCnidariansCAcelo#ate)
C%apter 33, Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter ', O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
!0 Bo class
!!
Inverte3rates II
(Coela#ate 2or#s and #oll&s4s)
C%apter 33,Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter '3 O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
!
Inverte3rates III
(Art%ropodsC.c%inoder#s)
C%apter 33, Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter '3 O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
!3 >erte3rates I
(8is%CA#p%i3iansC"eptiles)
C%apter 34, Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter '3 O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
!4 >erte3rates II
(BirdsC-a##als)
C%apter 34, Ca#p3el, "eece;
Chapter '3 O"#i"e Biolo$y Book
!@ Biodiversity in C" (o 3e given d&ring co&rse
!= 8inal e5a#
!? Drades
EVALUATION
SEO"( .FA-S G 0H
-II(."- .FA- G 0H
8IBAL .FA- G 0H
ASSIDB-.B(S G !@ H
CAS. S(UIJG 0H
CLASS A((.BIABC. G @H
(%e grading syste# 2ill +ollo2 t%e Bevada Syste# o+ Eig%er .d&cation
Exams
(%e e5a# 2ill incl&de class lect&res and assign#ents0
Assignments
I a--i$"me"t .date to be defi"ed .i"di/idual0
!0 Ira2 a p%ylogenetic tree 2it% t%e #ayor gro&ps o+ living organis#s, +or eac% division
yo& %ave to #ention t%e #ain c%aracteristic (s) t%at separates t%e gro&ps0
0 Bring t%e p%ylogeny to t%e class0
II a--i$"me"t .date to be defi"ed0 .pair-0
!0 Investigate %o2 t%e +ollo2ing pollination syndro#es occ&r in angiosper#s
a- E&##ing3irds - +lo2ers
3- 8lies - +lo2ers
c- Beetles K +lo2ers
d- Bats - +lo2ers
e- Bees K +lo2ers
+- B&tter+lies and #ot%s - +lo2ers
0 *resent yo&r data &sing a po2er point presentation
30 Bring a one-page report +or every class#ate and t%e pro+essor (t%ey 2ill 3e eval&ated
on t%e e5a#)0 Bo 2ritten essayLLL
III a--i$"me"t >ideo reports (d&ring t%e 2%ole co&rse)
Jo& #&st 2rite do2n notes on yo&r note3oo4 every ti#e a video is played in t%e
classroo#0 8or so#e o+ t%ose videos yo& #&st present a one-page report0
Case Stud
"esearc% %o2 #any species o+ t%e +ollo2ing gro&ps are in Costa "ica
!- *lants
- 8&ngi
3- Insects
4- Arac%nids
@- 8is%
=- A#p%i3ian
?- "eptiles
)- Birds
A- -a##als
.ac% st&dent #&st c%oose only one ta5ono#ic gro&p0 8or eac% gro&p yo& #&st descri3e
t%e ta5ono#ic classi+ication and s%o2 pict&res o+ t%e #ost co##on species (3e care+&l i+
yo& loo4 &p +or p%otos on Internet0 -any o+ t%e# are 3adly na#ed0 I+ yo& present 2rong
pict&res yo& 2ill lose so#e points +ro# yo&r +inal score)0 A !@-0 #in po2er point
presentation and a t%ree-page 2ritten essay #&st 3e presented on t%e sa#e day0
1cademic 2i-ho"e-ty 3olicy:
Acade#ic dis%onesty is against &niversity as 2ell as t%e syste# co##&nity standards0
Acade#ic dis%onesty is de+ined as' c%eating, plagiaris# or ot%er2ise o3taining grades
&nder +alse pretences0 *lagiaris# is de+ined as s&3#itting t%e lang&age, ideas, t%o&g%ts or
2or4 o+ anot%er as oneMs o2n< or assisting in t%e act o+ plagiaris# 3y allo2ing oneMs 2or4
to 3e &sed in t%is +as%ion0 C%eating is de+ined as (l) o3taining or providing &na&t%ori6ed
in+or#ation d&ring an e5a#ination t%ro&g% ver3al, vis&al or &na&t%ori6ed &se o+ 3oo4s,
notes, te5t and ot%er #aterials< () o3taining or providing in+or#ation concerning all or
part o+ an e5a#ination prior to t%at e5a#ination< (3) ta4ing an e5a#ination +or anot%er
st&dent, or arranging +or anot%er person to ta4e an e5a# in oneMs place< (4) altering or
c%anging test ans2ers a+ter s&3#ittal +or grading, grades a+ter grades %ave 3een a2arded,
or ot%er acade#ic records once t%ese are o++icial0
Iisciplinary proced&res +or incidents o+ acade#ic dis%onesty #ay involve 3ot% acade#ic
action and ad#inistrative action +or 3e%avio&r against t%e ca#p&s reg&lations +or st&dent
cond&ct0 (%e proced&res involve t%e deter#ination 3y t%e +ac&lty #e#3er p&rs&ing
concerns over alleged c%eating or plagiaris# as to 2%et%er ad#inistrative action is
2arranted, in addition to #a4ing a deter#ination as to any acade#ic conse;&ence0
Acade#ic action #ay incl&de' (!) cancelling t%e st&dentMs enrol#ent in t%e class 2it%o&t
a grade< () +iling a +inal grade o+ N8N< (3) a2arding a +ailing #ar4 on t%e test or paper in
;&estion< (4) re;&iring t%e st&dent to reta4e t%e test or res&3#it t%e paper0