In this unit students will...
- Identify the major anatomical characteristics that unify the animals that belong to each taxonomic phylum.
- Describe a representative lifecycle within each taxonomic phylum.
- Examine how increasing complexity has evolved in the animal kingdom over evolutionary time.
- Evaluate derived characters that are present in some taxonomic groups, but absent in others.
- Construct evolutionary phylogenies based on the presence or absence of derived characters.
- Learn and apply basic dissection skills in the lab to examine external and internal anatomy.
- Engage in 2-3 major dissections including:
- Earthworm
- Grasshopper/Crayfish
- Frog
- Participate in 2-3 practical exams that assess each major dissection.