ZL2101:03
Tropical Animal Biodiversity
Townsville
Prerequisites: ZL1001
26 lectures, 4 tutorials, 27 hours practicals. First semester.
Staff: Assoc. Professor D Blair.
Biodiversity includes the whole of life on earth. It is highest in tropical ecosystems such as surround us here in North Queensland. The subject starts by developing a working definition of “biodiversity”. Students are introduced to the methods used to organise the large amounts of information associated with the study of diversity. The origins of biodiversity (evolutionary and biogeographical patterns, speciation, radiation) are discussed using primarily tropical and local examples. The origins of the tropical Australian fauna and radiations within some particular groups are considered. Animal groups covered by these studies range from lower invertebrates to vertebrates.
Learning Objectives:
- appreciation of the diversity of life on the planet and especially in the tropics;
- familiarisation with the methods used to organise information concerning this biodiversity;
- understanding of both historical and current processes that have shaped biodiversity;
- appreciation of the tropical Australian fauna within its global context.
Assessment by final examination (50%); essay (15%); on-course practical tests (35%).
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