Learning objectives
The course aims showing the basic evolutionary paths of animal species, discussing the most important morphological and environmental adaptations of the basic animal taxa. The sinapomorphies of each taxon are examined as well as the relative adaptive advantage and origin through the taxons’ natural history. The course consists of CFU 4 of theoretic lessons and CFU 1 of drill-lessons.
Prerequisites
<br />Basic knowledge in general zoology
Course unit content
Evolutionary mechanisms. Basic phylogenetic concepts, types of phylogenetic trees. Concepts and methods of classification. The linnean Systema Naturae and the binomial nomenclature. Concepts of systematic level and of taxon. Body organisation and relationship with phylogeny.<br /><br />Analysis of the basic animal groups.<br /><br />Unicellular beings: Protozoa.<br />The rise of multicellular beings: Mesozoa and Placozoa.<br />The rise of Eumetazoa: Porifera. Radial symmetry: Cnidaria and Ctenophora.<br />Bilateral symmetry and absence of coelom: Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, Gnatostomulida, Entoprocta.<br />Pseudocoelom: Rotifera, Nematomorpha, Nematoda, Kinorhyncha, Gastrotricha, Priapula, Acanthocephala, Loricifera.<br />The rise of true coelom (schizocoelomates or Protostomia): Echiura, Sipuncula, Pogonophora, Onychophora, Tardigrada, Pentastomida, Mollusca.<br />Metameric coelomates: Annelida and Arthropoda.<br />Minor protostomes: Phoronida, Bryozoa (Ectoprocta), Brachiopoda, Chaetognatha. <br />The rise of a second coelom type (enterocoelomates or Deuterostomia): Echinodermata, Hemichordata.<br /><br />
Bibliography
Hickman C.P. jr., Roberts L.S., Larson A., Diversità animale. McGraw-Hill Italy, Milano, 2004. (Italian translation of Hickman C.P. jr., Roberts L.S., Larson A., Animal diversity (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Co., 2003)<br /><br />Other useful references:<br /><br />Barnes R.S.K., Colow P., Olive P.J.W., Invertebrati, una nuova sintesi. Zanichelli, Bologna, 1990.<br />Brusca R.C., Brusca G.J., Invertebrati. Zanichelli, Bologna, 1996.<br />Dip. Biologia Animale e Uomo (Ed.), Atlante di Zoologia degli invertebrati. Università di Torino.[website]<br />Hickman C.P. jr., Roberts L.S., Larson A., I'Anson H., Fondamenti di Zoologia. McGraw-Hill, Milano, 2005.<br />Lecointre G., Le Guyader H., La sistematica della vita. Una guida alla classificazione filogenetica. Zanichelli, Bologna, 2003.<br />Maddison D.R. (Ed.), The Tree of Life. University of Arizona.[website]<br />Miller S.A., Harley J.P., Zoologia. Parte sistematica. Idelson-Gnocchi, Napoli, 2005.<br />Palmer A.R. (Ed.), Kingdom Animalia. University of Alberta.[website]
