Of the 20 major animal phyla, 19 consist of invertebrates, including many familiar animals such as insects and snails, and more unusual ones including vampire squids and sea cucumbers. This course examines the “the small things that matter” in the context of their evolution and systematics. It looks at the origin of life in the sea and the enormous diversification following terrestrialisation. The focus is on major radiations and key evolutionary innovations including the transition from radial to bilateral symmetry and the development of a mesoderm and complex organs, that have occurred in the transition from simple to complex organisms. A 3 day field trip will give students a solid grounding in the marine and terrestrial invertebrate fauna of south-eastern Australia and the microhabitats they occupy. The practical component of the course will teach students techniques of specimen preservation and the use of biological keys in species identification.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand and communicate the major evolutionary innovations in invertebrate groups, and describe the functional significance of associated morphologies and behaviours.
- Analyse invertebrates in laboratory and field conditions, and use taxonomic keys for identification.
- Understand the requirements for collection and short-term maintenance of invertebrate species for photographic and scientific observation.
- Interpret formal taxonomic descriptions and understand principles of taxonomic precedence, synonymy, revision, and type specimen designation.
- Construct phylogenies by hand from suites of taxonomic characters, and critically evaluate groupings on the basis of monophyly and the principles of phylogenetic systematics.
Other Information
Field Trip: The cost of the fieldtrip in Kioloa will be around $200
Indicative Assessment
- Prac component (55%) (LO 1, 2, 3) (55) [LO null]
- Final exam (45%) (LO 1, 4, 5) (45) [LO null]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
60 contact hours, 50 non-contact hours. Plus a weekend field trip to Kioloa during March.Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Assumed Knowledge
An understanding of the principles of taxonomic classification and phylogenetic reconstructionSpecialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $3840 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $5460 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3862 | 25 Feb 2019 | 04 Mar 2019 | 31 Mar 2019 | 31 May 2019 | In Person | View |
