Syllabus Information |
Fall 2020
Apr 27,2024 |
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| General Biology: Sea Birds and Mammals - 23100 - BI 103D - 0 |
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Associated Term: Fall 2020
Levels: Credit Lane Main Campus Campus Lecture plus Lab Schedule Type Traditional Classroom Instructional Method Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Apply scientific inquiry to biological sciences. For example, objectively critique arguments for and against Makah Indian whaling. 2. Describe the steps involved in scientific inquiry and distinguish between a hypothesis and a theory. Conduct field studies using hypothesis testing to reach conclusions about live sea birds and mammals. Calculate the ages of fossils using radioactive decay principles. 3. Evaluate and critique scientific information from various sources (journals, magazines, newspapers, television, the internet) for scientific reliability and validity. Interpret population dynamic graphs to determine the validity of growth and decline arguments. 4. Discuss the Theory of Evolution, depfend hypothetical ancestry of whales, seals and birds. Describe evolutionary history and supporting evidence, including homologies, evo-devo arguments and adaptive radiation. 5. Evaluate how selective advantages enhanced the evolution of species, including comparative anatomy of seal and sea lion hydrodynamics, whale migration patterns and tropic bird tails. 6. Describe natural selection and speciation and be able to describe the evolution of a novel trait/species, including albatross courtship rituals, whale pelvic reduction, and many others. 7. Describe the taxonomy and classification of various groups of organisms and recent advances in marine bird and mammal cladistics. 8. Describe the ecosystem roles of organisms, populations and communities, and ecosystems. Describe the importance of phytoplanktonic producers and whale biomass contributions to chemosynthesis-based deep sea food webs. 9. Diagram the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems. Diagram food webs and nutrient cycles in the sea, including the roles of detritivorous crustaceans, primary and secondary consumption by seals and whales and biomass contributions to nutrient-rich upwellings. 10. Apply in class terminology and knowledge to an outdoor setting. 11. Relate patterns of population growth and climate change to ecosystem dynamics. Use a systems approach to describing the sea otter-urchin-kelp ecosystem. 12. Define sustainable resources use and describe how humans in ecosystems have caused species to become endangered. Explain the impacts of non-sustainable resource use (and other limiting factors) on carrying capacities and relate to the history of the whaling industry and to human population growth patterns. 13. Make accurate measurements and be proficient at using biological tools such as microscopes. Use binoculars for field identification of sea birds and mammals, and various measuring instruments to conduct field research. Required Materials: Technical Requirements: View Catalog Entry
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