Animal Structure And Function

Description

Animals are faced with innumerable challenges across their lifetime that must be overcome if individuals are to survive and reproduce, and ultimately for species to persist. Many of these challenges, such as how to move, how to respire, how to sense your environment, how to feed, and how to reproduce, are ubiquitous across the animal kingdom, but have been solved in unique ways by different phyla. Animal Structure and Function is a lecture and laboratory-based subject that explores the amazing morphological diversity of life and how this has evolved to meet essential biological functions. The course is structured around a series of key ‘biological challenges’ within which we will compare and contrast different ‘biological solutions’ to the same problem across animals ranging from corals through to apes. In the practicals, you will learn how to classify animals and interpret their features, and develop an integrated understanding of animal diversity and the evolutionary forces that drive this. Teaching Period: 2 March 2026 to 31 May 2026 Assessment Information: Description Timing Percentage Written task based on practical material 1200 words (equivalent) Two weeks after practical class 30% Graphical task based on practical material 800 words (equivalent) Two weeks after practical class 20% Online quizzes; six quizzes (one quiz per module) 15 minutes (each) At the end of each module 10% A written examination, covering lecture, workshop and practical material. 2 hours During the examination period 40% Attendance at four of five practicals, and four of five workshops Hurdle requirement: Students must attend four of five practicals, and four of five workshops during semester. Throughout the semester N/A