Outlines of the history of zoology; the evolution of life and the main theories. The cell of Protista; reproduction and sex phenomena. The origin of pluricellularity and Metazoa. Sexual and asexual reproduction in animals. Embriology. Organisation, physiology, reproduction, development, behaviour, ecology and adaptive radiation of the main phyla of Metazoa: Prorifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Plathelminta, Nematoda, Rotiphera, Mollusca, Anellida, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Tunicata.
Textbooks (to be chosen by the students) available at the library of Animal Biology in Via Romana 17:
Mitchell, Zoologia, Zanichelli
Pearse, Invertebrati viventi, Zanichelli
Barnes, Zoologia degli Invertebrati, Piccin
Storer, Usinger, Stebbins, Nybakken, Zoologia, Zanichelli
Learning Objectives - Last names A-L
Knowledge on the main living invertebrate, their adaptation to the environment, morphology and physiology, reproduction and life cycles, animal diversity with relation to environmental features. Acquisition of a critical knowledge on issues linked to the study of animals both in the field and laboratory. Knowledge on animal evolution and the main evolutionary theories in an historical context as well as in the actual scientific discussion. Guiding lines of the course are the understanding of the adaptation of animals in the environment and evolutionary constraints.
Skills and competencies : acquisition of a zoological language; interpretation of the evolutionary trees of the animals; use of dichotomic tables to classify animals; interpretation of graphics applied to zoology.
Capacity of autonomous study of zoological and evolutionary issues; in-depth study of specific issues treated in the course; classification of animals to the level of Order; contextualisation in the environment of the knowledge related to the different animals; development of scientific hypotheses; interpretation of experimental data to verify hypotheses.
Prerequisites - Last names A-L
Baseline knowledge of general biology
Teaching Methods - Last names A-L
Lectures are face-to-face, with time dedicated to critical discussion on previous knowledge also derived from life experience. During the lectures pictures and schemes are shown as well as videos on living animals in their environment. Guided observations using the microscope of Protozoa Metazoa from the collections stored at the Department of Biology, classroom 3 of zoology. At the end of the course a visit to the Zoological Museum La Specola is offered to the students.
Seminars on zoological and evolutionary aspects, which are held occasionally at the University, may complement the course.
Further information - Last names A-L
The teachers Prof. Felicita Scapini and Prof. Stefano Turillazzi
can be contacted at their respective offices in the Department of Biology via Romana 17.
Type of Assessment - Last names A-L
An oral exam on the subjects illustrated throughout the course, may be preceded by a short written test.
Course program - Last names A-L
Definition of animal organisms. Outlines of the history of zoology; the actual zoology and the zoological disciplines. The evolution of life and the main theories. The cell of Protista, organisation and adaptation to the environment, movement, feeding and reproduction. Life cycles and sex phenomena: mitosis, meiosis and fertilization; cycles of Aplonta, Diplonta and Aplodiplobionta. The phyla of Protozoa: Sarcomastigophora, Apicomplexa, Ciliophora. The origin of pluricellularity and Metazoi. Sexual and asexual reproduction in animals. Embriology : types of eggs and segmentation, gastrulation and gastrulae, mesoderma and the cavities of the body. Protostomata and Deuterostomata; Diblastica and Triblastica; Radiata and Bilateria. Organisation, physiology, reproduction, development, behaviour, ecology and adaptive radiation of the main phyla of Metazoa. Porifera: Calcispongae, Silicospongae, Demospangae. Cnidaria: Hydrozoa, Sciphozoa, Anthozoa. Ctenophora. Plathelminta: Turbellaria, Trematoda and Cestoda. Nematoda. Rotiphera. Mollusca: Aplacophora, Polyplacophora, Monoplacophora, Gastropoda, Scaphopoda, Lamellibranchia, Cephalopoda. Anellida: Polychaeta, Oligochaeta, Hirudinea. Arthropoda: Chelicerata, Crustacea, Miriapoda, Insecta. Echinodermata: Crinoidea, Asteroidea, Echinoidea, Oloturioidea, Ofiuroidea. Cordata: Tunicata.