Course Policy & General Expectations
Course Policy
Grading
Lecture Mid Term 100 pts
Lecture Final 200 pts
Lab Mid Term 100 pts
Lab Final 200 pts
Participation (Field and Lab Work) 100 pts
Independent Project 100 pts
Expectations and Opportunities
1. Regular attendance in lecture and lab is expected. You will need the entire 2 hour lab period every time. Lab exams cannot be made up. The final exams for both lecture and lab will cover material from the entire course.
2. There are weekly readings from the text and the lab manual. There are also weekly readings from the primary literature (available via on-line reserve in the main library). Some exam questions will derive solely from this material.
3. The Grinellian field note system will be taught, including specimen catalogue, journal, and species accounts. (See Chapter 29 in Martin et al.) Each student must maintain a field notebook with records of all field work (both the field trip and your independent project). This will be due on the last day of class (December 7).
4. Field trips. All students are expected to attend the field trip to the Southwestern Research Station.
5. Independent Research. Each student will conduct an independent research project and submit a written report on the last day of class.
6. All students are expected to adhere to the University of Arizona student code of conduct:
http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/policiesandcodes/studentcodeofconduct.7. Graduate students will be required to answer additional questions on the mid-term and final exams for the lecture portion of the course.
Materials
You will need to purchase a field notebook (5.5" x 8.5") with white, lined, loose-leaf paper. You will also need a good pen that uses permanent, waterproof ink.
A simple dissection kit is not required but may be useful for this course and for future work in mammalogy. A good kit for preparing specimens includes one pair of small, sharp-point dissecting scissors; one pair of larger scissors with one sharp and one blunt point; straight forceps with medium point; needle and heavy white, cotton thread; ruler in mm (at least 30 mm); pliers and wire-cutter combination; and pins.
Required Texts:
Feldhamer, G.A., L.C. Drickamer, S.H. Vessey, J.F. Merritt, and C. Krajewski, 2007. Mammalogy, Third Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Martin, R.E., R.H. Pine, and A.F. DeBlase, 2001. A manual of mammalogy. 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill, Boston. (Recently out of print, but available on course website).
Lawlor, T.E. 1979. Handbook to the orders and families of living mammals. Mad River Press, Eureka, CA. (Recently out of print, but available on course website).