Mammalogy Laboratory Spring 2008

Teaching Assistants:	Jenna Jadin office: 4219 Biology/Psychology office hours: by appointment email: jadin@umd.edu	Bryan Arnold office: 1204J Biology/Psychology office hours: by appointment email: barnold@umd.edu
Instructor:	Dr. Kaci Thompson office: 1313 Symons Hall office hours: by appointment phone: 405-2160 email: kaci@umd.edu

Text: Martin, R.E., Pine, R.H. and DeBlase, A.F. 2001. A Manual of Mammalogy 3/e. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Assignment of grades: Each lab will require completion of a written assignment. These assignments will take the form of worksheets (5-20 points each), discussion questions (5-10 points each). There will be one group research project that will be evaluated based on a presentation (20 points) and formal lab report (30 points). For discussion questions and worksheets, the points awarded will be determined by grading a subset of questions on the worksheet. Grading rubrics for lab reports will be distributed in class. There will also be one lab practical exam worth 50 points. The TA will have 20 points to award at his/her discretion.

Worksheets, discussion questions	80
Lab practical exam	50
Group project presentation and lab report	50
Discretionary points	20
TOTAL=	200 points

Attendance: Your attendance in lab is required. If you are absent for a University approved reason (i.e., illness, death in the family, religious holiday, official University business) you must present documentation to the TA within one week of the missed lab to have the opportunity to make up any points associated with that lab. Absences without appropriate documentation will be considered unexcused and will result in the loss of all points (including discretionary points) associated with that lab. Students with three or more unexcused absences will fail the class.

Assignments: You are expected to print out the worksheets for each week's lab prior to coming to class. All assignments and worksheets will be available for printing from the course website. The files are in PDF format and are linked to the lab class schedule (below) and the assignments web page http://www.chemlife.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/Worksheets/. You will need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader if it is not already present on the computer you intend to print from. We are making the worksheets available in this manner to save you the cost of purchasing them at the bookstore.

Unless otherwise specified, you will have one week to complete the assignments associated with each lab. Assignments are due at the beginning of the lab period. Late assignments will be penalized 10% of the total point value for that assignment per day that the assignment is late.

Academic integrity: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html.

Class schedule:

Week Topic Lab manual Points
Jan. 39-31
No class

Feb. 5-7
General characteristics of mammals
Skulls and teeth
Identifying basic cranial features; obtaining cranial measurements; anatomy of teeth; types of teeth and their functions; dental formulae
Worksheet
Ch. 1, 2 and 3 5
Feb. 12-14
Keys and keying
Identification of mammalian orders and families using cranial features; designing and using keys
Worksheet
Ch. 8 and 9 5
Feb. 19-21
The Integument, Horns and Antlers
Histology of mammalian skin and hair; hair types and coloration patterns; anatomy of horns and antlers; identification of local mammals
Worksheet
Ch. 4 and 5 5
Feb. 26-28
Limbs and Locomotion
Anatomy of claws, nails and hooves; appendicular skeletal anatomy; limb adaptations for different modes of locomotion
Worksheet
Ch. 6 and 7 10
Mar. 4-6
Reproduction
Reproductive histology and anatomy; placental anatomy
Worksheet

Handout (distributed in class) 5
Mar. 11-13
Lab Practical Exam
50
Mar. 18-20
Spring Break

Mar. 25-27
No class; you may want to use this as an opportunity to complete your Museum of Natural History assignment which will require time outside of class
Handout 20
Apr. 1-3

Introduction to squirrel foraging lab
Observing behavior
Handout 1
Handout 2 5
Apr. 8-10
Spatial distribution, abundance and diversity
Home range size determinations; estimating species diversity; simulation of mark/recapture techniques for estimating population size
Worksheet
Dot grid (Word document)
Homerange data (Word document)
Mammalian homerange sizes (pdf document)

Museum of Natural History assignment due
Chapter 35 and 36 20
Apr. 15-17
Planning meeting/group presentations for squirrel foraging lab
20
Apr. 22-24
Local small mammals
Methods for live trapping of small mammals; Identification of local mammals

Lab 9 - Local mammals This part gets handed in!
Traps handout This is for you to use as a reference in asnwering questions on the Lab 9 handout. IT DOESN'T GET HANDED IN!
Collection methods handout This is for you to use as a reference in asnwering questions on the Lab 9 handout. IT DOESN"T GET HANDED IN!

Spatial distribution assignment due
Ch. 30
Handout 5
Apr. 29-May 1
Squirrel foraging behavior
No class; use this time to work on your project
30
(Lab report)
May 6-8
No labs this week - Good luck on final exams!

Squirrel foraging behavior lab report due

Week	Topic	Lab manual	Points
Jan. 39-31	No class
Feb. 5-7	General characteristics of mammals Skulls and teeth Identifying basic cranial features; obtaining cranial measurements; anatomy of teeth; types of teeth and their functions; dental formulae Worksheet	Ch. 1, 2 and 3	5
Feb. 12-14	Keys and keying Identification of mammalian orders and families using cranial features; designing and using keys Worksheet	Ch. 8 and 9	5
Feb. 19-21	The Integument, Horns and Antlers Histology of mammalian skin and hair; hair types and coloration patterns; anatomy of horns and antlers; identification of local mammals Worksheet	Ch. 4 and 5	5
Feb. 26-28	Limbs and Locomotion Anatomy of claws, nails and hooves; appendicular skeletal anatomy; limb adaptations for different modes of locomotion Worksheet	Ch. 6 and 7	10
Mar. 4-6	Reproduction Reproductive histology and anatomy; placental anatomy Worksheet	Handout (distributed in class)	5
Mar. 11-13	Lab Practical Exam		50
Mar. 18-20	Spring Break
Mar. 25-27	No class; you may want to use this as an opportunity to complete your Museum of Natural History assignment which will require time outside of class	Handout	20
Apr. 1-3	Introduction to squirrel foraging lab Observing behavior	Handout 1 Handout 2	5
Apr. 8-10	Spatial distribution, abundance and diversity Home range size determinations; estimating species diversity; simulation of mark/recapture techniques for estimating population size Worksheet Dot grid (Word document) Homerange data (Word document) Mammalian homerange sizes (pdf document) Museum of Natural History assignment due	Chapter 35 and 36	20
Apr. 15-17	Planning meeting/group presentations for squirrel foraging lab		20
Apr. 22-24	Local small mammals Methods for live trapping of small mammals; Identification of local mammals Lab 9 - Local mammals This part gets handed in! Traps handout This is for you to use as a reference in asnwering questions on the Lab 9 handout. IT DOESN'T GET HANDED IN! Collection methods handout This is for you to use as a reference in asnwering questions on the Lab 9 handout. IT DOESN"T GET HANDED IN! Spatial distribution assignment due	Ch. 30 Handout	5
Apr. 29-May 1	Squirrel foraging behavior No class; use this time to work on your project		30 (Lab report)
May 6-8	No labs this week - Good luck on final exams! Squirrel foraging behavior lab report due