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BI1512: DIVERSITY OF LIFE 2 (2017-2018)

Last modified: 26 Feb 2018 19:34


Course Overview

  • A walk through the evolutionary tree of life, examining the amazing diversity of advanced invertebrates and vertebrates.
  • Learn about how each group of organisms arose, their characteristics, and how they achieved success.
  • Practical activities provide hands on experience of materials demonstrating the features of amphibians, fish, birds and mammals. 
  • You will be assessed by a combination of laboratory reports, on which you will get detailed feedback to help you develop your skills, and an exam.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Catherine Jones
  • Professor Samuel Martin

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme
  • Either BI1012 Diversity of Life 1 (Studied) or BSc Behavioural Biology (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

  • BI2008 Diversity of Life (Studied)
  • BI2012 Diversity of Life - Theory (Studied)
  • BI2013 Diversity of Life - Practical (Studied)
  • BI2014 Diversity of Life - Semester 1 (Studied)
  • BI2514 Diversity of Life - Semester 2 (Studied)

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Over approximately 3.7 billion years, living organisms on the Earth have diversified and adapted to every possible environment. This course will introduce the clues used to reconstruct the evolutionary tree of life and examine the amazing diversity of life through time, focusing on major lineages of organisms from fungi, through plants to invertebrates and vertebrates.

Practicals will illustrate a range of organisms, address important biological principles and encourage the development of basic scientific skills including dissection, observation, interpretation and recording of biological material and assessment of diversity.

Associated Costs

Course practicals require the use of a lab coat which can be purchased locally for £15

Further Information & Notes

Only SBS students may register for this course in 2015/16


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: Six practical hand-ins (40%), plus exam (60%). Exam will be MCQ and short answer.

Resit: Similar to first attempt, with continuous assessment marks and /or exam mark carried forward and an opportunity to complete either appropriate alternative pieces of coursework or a resit exam, or both, depending on what was failed in the first attempt.

Formative Assessment

There is no formal formative assessment but students will have opportunity to engage in discussions with other students, staff and demonstrators during practical classes which will allow them to assess their own understanding of the course content.

Feedback

Students will receive regular written feedback on each practical report before the start of the next practical class. Students will have opportunity to discuss their work with staff and demonstrators during practical classes.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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