Learning outcomes
1. Acquaint students with the zoology of vertebrates
2. Analyse the organisation of basic groups of vertebrates
3. Explain the evolution and anatomical characteristics of individual groups of vertebrates, and analyse the adaptations to their way of life and movement
4. Use the relevant literature for the determination of individual groups of vertebrates so as to achieve a satisfactory level of taxa determination
5. Know how to recognise and categorise the typical representatives of Croatia's vertebrate fauna into the appropriate systematic groups
6. Know how to recognise the endemic species of vertebrates in Croatia, and to explain their significance and discuss the causes of threat
7. Develop skills in the dissection and observation of vertebrates
8. Analyse the comparative anatomy of individual groups of vertebrates
9. Explain the relationship between the structure of vertebrate communities and the ecological characteristics of the environment
Lectures:
1. General characteristics of the anatomy, taxonomy and distribution of individual groups of vertebrates.
2. Origin and development of the Chordata. Structure, systematics and biology of the Tunicates and Chordates.
3. Structure and biology of the Cyclostomata. The most important representatives of the Adriatic Sea and Croatian freshwaters.
4. Structure and biology of the Chondrichthyes and Actinopterygii, function of anatomical systems. Systematic overview of the most important representatives of the ichthyofauna. Basic fish ecology.
5. Croatia's ichthyofauna, a systematic overview of the most important representatives
6. Groups Sarcopterygii and Dipnoi, basic characteristics and their position in the phylogeny of fish and the Tetrapods.
7. Structure and function of individual organs in amphibians. Adaptations of amphibians to various aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Mutual phylogenetic relations of extinct and recent groups, and theories of the transition of vertebrates from water to land.
8. Croatia's amphibians, a systematic overview of the most important representatives
9. Structure and adaptations of reptiles to terrestrial habitats. Characteristics of individual groups of reptiles. Significance of reptiles in the development of endothermic vertebrates.
10. Croatia's reptiles a systematic overview of the most important representatives
11. Birds, structure and function of adaptations to flight. Systematics and adaptive radiation. Origin and phylogenetic relations of birds with other groups of vertebrates. Behaviour and migration. Orientation during migration.
12. Croatia's ornithofauna Croatia as an area of great bird distribution.
13. Structure and general characteristics of mammals. Particular structures of aquatic mammals. Differences between aplacental and placental mammals. Biology of hibernation. Echolocation and orientation.
14. Population dynamics, migration, feeding and social structures. Domestication.
15. Systematics of mammals, with an overview of the most important species in the Croatian fauna.
Practical exercises:
1. Structure and general characteristics of the Tunicates and Chordates
2. Structure and general characteristics of the Agnatha. Determination of the Agnatha.
3. Structure and general characteristics of the Chondrichthyes
4. Structure and general characteristics of the Cypriniformes
5. Determination of the Chondrichthyes and Cypriniformes
6. Structure and general characteristics of the amphibians
7. Structure and general characteristics of the reptiles
8. Structure and general characteristics of the reptiles
9. Determination of the amphibians and reptiles
10. Structure and general characteristics of the birds
11. Structure and general characteristics of the birds
12. Determination of the birds
13. Structure and general characteristics of the mammals
14. Structure and general characteristics of the mammals
15. Determination of the mammals
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- Young, J. Z., (1985): The Life of Vertebrates. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 645 pp
- Đulić, B., (1973): Zoologija vertebrata, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, 404 pp
- Ognev, S. I., Fink, N., (1956): Zoologija Kralješnjaka, Školska knjiga, Zagreb, 846 pp
- Kardong, K. (2011): Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution. 6th edition. McGraw-Hill, 816 pp
- Kent, G.C., and Carr, R.K., (2000). Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates, 9th ed. McGraw Hill, Boston. 544 pp.
- Liem, K. F, Bemis, W. E., Walker, W. F, Jr. and Grande, L (2000): Functional Anatomy of the Vertebrates, 3rd edition. Brooks Cole Publishing, 784 pp
- Kardong, K. V. and Zalisko, E. J. (2014): Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy - A Laboratory Dissection Guide, McGraw-Hill, 7th Edition. 384 pp
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