Zoology is a fundamental part of the Biological Sciences and deals with all the living organisms classified as METAZOA or ANIMALIA. Zoology encompasses the study of the vast and rich animal diversity and their ecological and evolutionary significance. Accordingly, we provide the principles of animal modeling and the techniques commonly used in the study of animals.

The abilities obtained in basic matters of the Biology, particularly Cell Biology, are a good start for the Zoology. The contents of Zoology are integrated and related with other close areas such as Botany, Microbial Diversity, Ecology and Marine Biology. The matter is fundamental for the job training of any graduate in Biosciences.

Specific competences:

1- To know the principles of the animal body plans, the morphological and promorphological models, the embryological development and the main types of structure and animal biology.

2- To know the main phylogenetic lines which support the animal diversity and evolution. As a consequence, to learn how to identify animal specimens and how to classify different taxa of the Animal Kingdom.

3- To understand the animal diversity as a result of a common evolution with the surrounding environment.

4- To gain basic skills for the handling of zoological techniques and equipments.

5- To gain good habits in the search for scientific information related with Zoology.



Transversal competences:

1- To promote the analytical and synthetic skills for decision-making, processing and transmission of information.

2- To develop organization and planning skills.

3- To develop strong interpersonal skills that foster teamwork and the progress of the critical thinking.

4- To keep a positive attitude that allows students to acquire the tools for the lifelong and self-learning.

General Zoology. Zoology as a concept. Principles of Ontogeny. Morphology and Promorphology. Systematics, Taxonomy. Phylogeny

Animal biology. Faunal adaptations to the environment. Nutrition, reproduction and relationship. Biological life cycles. Bionomy. Biogeography.

Systematic Zoology. Animal diversity. Phyla of diploblastic, triploblastic, coelomates, protostomes and deuterostomes groups.

Evolution

Applied Zoology. Professional careers in Zoology. Biodiversity: Management and Conservation.



SYLLABUS (lectures, classroom practicals and seminars):

A. General Zoology

1- Definition of Zoology. Kingdom ANIMALIA: diagnosis and basic comments.

2- Principles of Ontogeny. The origin of blastodermic layers and the coelom. Protostomia and deuterostomia.

3- Morphology and Promorphology. Classification of the Kingdom ANIMALIA

4- Environment or biological milieu: ecophysiological and adaptative approaches

5- Tisular organization. Organs and systems. The trinomial organ-function-environment.

6- Animal biology: nutrition, relationship and reproduction functions.

7- Biological life cycles. Larvae concept and juvenile.

8- Introduction to the animal bionomy. Population dynamics. Interspecific relationships. Faunal associations.

9- Biogeography. Distribution areas. Taxonomy of the zoogeographical regions. Biomes and environmental groupings.

10- Animal diversity: systematics, taxonomy. Phylogeny. Principles of the animal classification.



B. Systematic zoology

11- The origin of the METAZOA. Protozoa. Basics of placozoans and mesozoans.

12- Phylum Porifera



DIPLOBLASTIC METAZOA

13- Phyla Cnidaria and Ctenophora.



TRIPLOBLASTIC METAZOA WITHOUT A TRUE COELOM

14- Introduction to the triplosblastic animals.

15- Phyla Platyhelminthes and Nemertea.

16- The pseudocelomates. Diagnosis of the main phyla.

17- Phylum Nematoda.



COELOMATE PROTOSTOMES

18- Introduction to the coelomate protostomes. Basics of the minor phyla with annelid and arthropod affinities.

19- Phylum Annelida: Polychaetes, Oligochaetes and Hirudinians.

20- Introduction to the phylum Arthropoda.

21- Crustaceans.

22- Chelicerates.

23- Myriapods and insects.

24- Introduction to the phylum Mollusca. Body plan and evolution.

25- Gasteropods, bivalves and cephalopods

LOPHOPHORATES

26- Phoronideans, Brachiopods and Bryozoans.

DEUTEROSTOMES

27- Introduction to the deuterostomes.

28- Phylum Echinodermata.

29- Phylum Hemichordata.

30- Introduction to the phylum Chordata. Urochordates and cephalochordates.

31- Vertebrates. Comparative anatomy and evolution.

32- The first vertebrates. The fishes.

33- The colonization of the terrestrial environment. Amphibians and Reptiles.

34- Birds and mammals.

Synthesis and theories of the animal evolution

35- Phylogeny of the Kingdom ANIMALIA. Presentation of the main theories with discussion and critical assessment of the different hypotheses.

C. Applied zoology

36- Objectives and professional career of the Zoology.

37- Biodiversity and conservation. Faunal management: invasive, threatened, target resource species.



PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES (Laboratory and field visits):

LAB ACTIVITIES

1- Zootomy of the most representative phyla. Functional and comparative anatomy.

2- Comparative study of the skeleton of vertebrates.

3- Use of identification keys and taxonomical books.

4- Visual identification of the most representative species, mostly common in the local fauna



FIELD ACTIVITIES

- Study in situ of the fauna from different environments: marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats.

The units have different extent. As a result, they are developed in different time schedules.

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 10
  • Multiple-Choice Test (%): 50
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 15
  • Team projects (problem solving, project design)) (%): 15
  • Exhibition of works, readings ... (%): 10

CONTINUOUS EVALUATION MODALITY. The final mark will be established by applying the following percentages:



Theory (60%): written exam. Evaluation criteria: precision of the answer, uses of the scientific terminology, phrasing and discussion.



Lab and field activities (20%): The practical notebook has to be presented to the instructor and the corresponding written exam. Evaluation criteria: based on the practical reports and the answers to the questions in the written exam, interpretation and data preparation, appropriate and well founded expression, ability to synthesize and analyze zoological data.



Seminars and tutorials (20%): written report worked by a team and oral presentation. Evaluation criteria: Oral presentation of the seminar organized by a team of students, structure and organization of the information, uses of the scientific terminology, ability to analyze and synthesize data, use of adequate resources.



Remarks:



The attendance to the Lab practical sessions, field visits and seminar sessions will be assessed.



After finishing the 1st term of the course, a mid-course exam will be done. Those students obtaining marks 5 or higher will be exempted of doing this part of the matter in the 1st exam call in June. However, if students fail the exam, they have to do a full exam (1st term + 2nd term) in the extraordinary exam call. (Note: the 2nd part of the Zoology is based on many concepts obtained during the 1st part).



Marks obtained from students during the course (practical sessions, seminars) will be maintained for the extraordinary exam call, if the student agrees. In the contrary case, students will be assessed globally by performing a written exam during the extraordinary exam call.



In accordance with the University regulations, those students wanting to renounce to the continuous assessment modality in Zoology, they have to do a final exam. In this case, students have to submit a letter to the responsible instructor within 2 months of the starting of the course asking for this exam modality.



FINAL EVALUATION MODALITY: The final mark will be done by applying the following percentages:

Theory (70%): written exam. Evaluation criteria: precision of the answer, uses of the scientific terminology, phrasing and discussion.



Lab and field activities (30%): written exam. Evaluation criteria: precision of the answer to the questions, interpretation and data preparation, appropriate and well founded expression, ability to synthesize and analyze zoological data.



EXAM CALL RENOUNCE BY STUDENTS: In both modalities, continuous assessment and final exam, the non-attendance to the exam during the published call date will be automatically interpreted as a formal renounce to the corresponding call, and the mark "not present" will be recorded in the student's record.



For further questions, please address to instructors Urtzi Goiti and Aitor Albaina, via e-mail, to the following address: urtzi.goiti@ehu.eus - aitor.albaina@ehu.eus

The final mark in the extraordinary call is established with the same procedure as above described in the ordinary call. In exceptional situations, the assessment system will be established in a personal way with the student. If the student does not take the exam , the mark “not present” is recorded in the student’s record.

-Lab coat along the practical laboratory sessions
-Rain coat and rubber boats for the field activities
-Available resources previously included in e-Gela

Basic bibliography

BRUSCA R.C, GIRIBET G., MOORE Wendy 2022. Invertebrates. 4th edition. Oxford University Press.

DORIT, WALKER, BARNES. Zoology. Saunders College Publ.

GIRIBET, EDGECOMBE. 2020. The Invertebrate Tree of Life. Princeton University Press.

HICKMAN, KEEN Susan, EISENHOUR, LARSON, L'ANSON Helen. 2023. Integrated Principles of Zoology. 19th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Education.

HICKMAN, ROBERTS, KEEN Susan L, LARSON, EISENHOUR. Animal diversity. McGraw-Hill.

JESSOP Nancy M. Zoología (Teoría y problemas). Interamericana, McGraw-Hill.

KARDONG. Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution. McGraw-Hill Education.

PECHENIK. Biology of the Invertebrates. Wm C Brown Publ.

RUPPERT, BARNES. Invertebrate Zoology. Saunders College Publ.

RUPPERT, FOX, BARNES. Invertebrate Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach. Thomson.



ALTABA et al. 1991. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. Invertebrats no Artròpodes.

ARMENGOL et al. 1986. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. Artròpodes I.

BLAS Marina et al. 1987. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. Artròpodes I.

DE SOSTOA et al. 1990. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. Peixos.

FERRER et al. 1986. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. Ocells.

VIVES Maria Victòria. 1987. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. Amfibis, Rèptils i Mamífers.

In-depth bibliography

AIHARTZA. 2010. Ornodunak. Anatomia, Eboluzioa eta Aniztasuna. UEU.
AIZPURUA, ALTONAGA, BARANDIARANJ, IRAZABALBEITIA, TXURRUKA, RODRIGUEZ Amaia. 1985. Eboluzioaren norabideak. Elhuyar.
ALEXANDER. 1981. The Chordates. Cambridge Univ. Press.
ANDERSON. 1998. Invertebrate Zoology. Oxford Univ. Press.
DIAZ, SANTOS. 1998. Zoología. Aproximación evolutiva a la diversidad y organización de los animales. Síntesis.
DE LA FUENTE. 1994. Zoología de Artrópodos. Interamericana McGraw-Hill.
EMLEN. 2019. Evolution: Making Sense of Life. WH Freeman & CO.
FUTUYMA, KIRKPATRICK. 2017. Evolution. Sinauer.
KUKHENTAL, MATTHES, RENNER. 1990. Zoologiazko Laborategi-Praktikak. UEU.
LE GUYADER. 2007. The Tree of Life: A Phylogenetic Classification. Harvard Univ. Press.
LOSOS. 2018. Improbable Destinies: How Predictable is Evolution? Penguin Books.
POUGH, JANIS Christine M, HEISER. 2012. Vertebrate Life. Pearson.
PUENTE Ana I, ALTONAGA. 2005. Zoologia orokorra. UEU.
QUAMMEN. 2019. The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life. William Collins.
RUBENSTEIN, ALCOCK. 2019. Animal Behavior. OUP USA.
ROMER, PARSONS. 1984. Anatomía Comparada. Interamericana.
SIEWING, HERMANN. 1985. Lehrbuch der Zoologie. Bd. 2: Systematik. Gustav Fischer Verlag.
TELLERIAL. 1999. Zoología Evolutiva de los Vertebrados. Síntesis.
YOUNG, MARTÍNEZ, RIBAS. 1985. La vida de los Vertebrados. Omega.

Journals

Check list in ISI Web of Knowledge, http://sauwok.fecyt.es/admin-apps/JCR/JCR
Keywords: Zoology, Behavioral Sciences, Biodiversity Conservation,
Entomology, Fisheries, Marine and Freshwater Biology, Ornithology, Paleontology, Parasitology.

Web addresses

GENERAL
Tree of life http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html
Biosis http://www.biologybrowser.org/
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html
http://www.arkive.org/about/
http://www.biodiversidadvirtual.com
http://365especies.com
http://www.euskalnatura.net

SPECIAL
Endangered animals
http://mx.geocities.com/aextinto/
Wildlife
http://personales.jet.es/simonmarti/
Animalia
http://orbita.starmedia.com/~animalia/index.htm
Spanish Herpetological Association
http://www.herpetologica.org/
Spanish Entomological Association
http://carn.ua.es/AEE.html
Biodiversity Basque Government
http://www.ingurumena.ejgv.euskadi.net/r49-bio/es/
On-line Encyclopedia of Spanish Birdlife (SEO/Birdlife)
http://www.enciclopediadelasaves.es/
On-line Encyclopedia of Spanish Vertebrates
http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/
Beast, creepy-crawly, bugs (Fieras, alimañas y sabandijas)
http://fierasysabandijas.galeon.com/
The IUCN Red list of threatened species
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Spanish Ministry of the Environment
http://www.mma.es/portal/secciones/biodiversidad/
Research Project "Fauna Ibérica"
http://www.fauna-iberica.mncn.csic.es/index.php
Zoological Systematics
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit/5591/
Spanish Society of Biology and Evolution (SESBE)
www.sesbe.org
Spanish Society of Ethology (SEE).
http://webs.uvigo.es/c04/webc04/etologia/SEEeng.html
Spanish Ornithological Society (Sociedad Española de Ornitología, SEO/BirdLife) http://www.seo.org/
The Spanish Society for the Study and Conservation of Mammals (Sociedad Española para la Conservación y el Estudio de los Mamíferos - SECEM)
http://www.secem.es/
Spanish Society for the Conservation and Study of Bats (Sociedad Española para la Conservación y el Estudio de los Murciélagos - SECEMU)
http://www.secemu.com/cod/index_.html