Zoology (BIOL2204)

Course overview

The course will cover animal diversity & evolution, from primitive metazoans to vertebrates. It describes the fantastic diversity of animal and life histories in an evolutionary and phylogenetic context. Students will become familiar with body form & function, & life history characteristics of the major groups of animals.

Zoology is the scientific study of animals, including their diversity and evolution, development, structure, physiology, and behaviour. BIOL2204 examines animal life from all environments, including marine, freshwater andﾠterrestrial, and will have a focus on Australian animals.

The course will cover animal diversity and evolution, from basal metazoans to vertebrates, comparison of body form and function, and the diversity of life history strategies found across different animal groups. The great diversity of animal life will be put into an evolutionary and phylogenetic context.ﾠ

The course contentﾠis broken into modules, each dealing with a different phylogenetically related group.ﾠ In the first half of the course each module looks in detail at one invertebrate phylum. The second half of the course focusses on vertebrate animals, where each module looks in detail at one of the major body functions and compares this function across the different vertebrate groups.

Practical classes alternate between interactive workshops and laboratory classes. Each uses enquiry based learning to discover characteristics of and relationships between different groups of animals. Students will identify and sort animals into taxonomic groups from field collected samples using these acquired skills. Workshops/tutorials will engage students in applying what they have learned to real scenarios related to managing wildlife and identifying unknown species.

Course requirements

Assumed background

It will be assumed that students are familar with all material covered in the pre-requiste courses BIOL1030 Biodiversity and the Environment,ﾠand BIOL1040 Cells to Organisms.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

BIOL1030

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

BIOL1020+BIOL1040

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ZOOL2028 or ZOOL2029

Jointly taught details

This course is jointly-taught with:

• BIOL2904

All activities except for the BIOL2904 advanced readings are jointly taught between BIOL2204 and BIOL2904

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

The course aims to introduce:

• animal diversity and evolution - from basal metazoans to vertebrates
• the comparison of body form and function
• modes of support, locomotion, feeding and reproductive strategies

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

End of semester exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Post lab/workshop quizzes

• Online

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

50%

Due date

Quizzes will be due within 24h after completion of each in-person class, excluding the first and last classes of semester.

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Quizzes will be available online via the Inspera assessment platform, and submitted within this platform.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Marks from the best 8 out of 10 quizzes count towards the final grade.

Only students who miss more than two quizzes may apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Students are required to get a grade of at least 50% in the final exam, and a grade of at least 50% overall to pass the course.

ﾠ

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

 If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.

Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.

Inspera Assessment.

Assessment in BIOL2204 will occur using the software platform called Inspera. The assessment item(s) include non-invigilated/invigilated on-campus assessment/exam/quiz and students will complete these using their own device. Further details, including an introduction to Inspera functionality, practice opportunities, and where to go for support, will be provided in the Blackboard site for this course in Week 1 of the semester.

If you don't have a suitable device for your assessment, please go to the Library site for information on Short-Term Laptop loans.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Other learning materials will be posted on the BIOL2204 Black Board website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.