BIO 113 Dinosaurs, Summaries of Biochemistry

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Request for General Studies Designation for: BIO 113 — Dinosaurs Course Description: Principles of evolution, ecology, behavior, anatomy and physiology using dinosaurs and other extinct life as case studies. Geological processes and the fossil record. Can- not be used for major credit in the biological sciences. Fee. Included Documents:

• Course Proposal Cover Form
• Course Catalog Description (this page)
• Criteria Checklist for General Studies SG designation, including descriptions of how the course meets the specific criteria
• Proposed Course Syllabus
• Table of contents (and preface) from the textbook (Fastovsky & Weishampel, 2nd ed.)
• Selected lab handouts and worksheets

[SG] REQUIREMENTS CANNOT BE MET BY COURSES:[SG] REQUIREMENTS CANNOT BE MET BY COURSES:[SG] REQUIREMENTS CANNOT BE MET BY COURSES:

• (^) Presenting a qualitative survey of a discipline.
• (^) Focusing on the impact of science on social, economic, or environmental issues.
• (^) Focusing on a specific or limiting but in-depth theme suitable for upper-division majors. Course Prefix Number Title Designation BIO 113 Dinosaurs SG Explain in detail which student activities correspond to the specific designation criteria. Please use the following organizer to explain how the criteria are being met. Criteria (from checksheet) How course meets spirit (contextualize specific examples in next column) Please provide detailed evidence of how course meets criteria (i.e., where in syllabus) 1. Course emphasizes the mastery of basic scientific principles and concepts. The course will emphasize understanding evolutionary principles including natural selection, adaptation, and phylogenetic relationships. Various other topics in animal biology will be explored as well, including basic principles of anatomy and physiology (including the relationship between diet and anatomy, adaptations for flight, and thermoregulation), growth and and development, ecology, and animal behavior (including social behavior, parental care, and sexual selection). See lecture and lab schedules of syllabus and table of contents of textbook. Labs will specifically address the following: stratigraphy and isotope dating (Lab 3); natural selection (with a simulation experiment), and phylogenetic analysis (Lab 4); Species diversity and community structure (Labs 5-6); allometry and effects of size (Lab 13, though I plan on expanding this lab). In addition, all of the labs focused on diversity ask students to provide adaptive interpretations for morphology and relate the evolution of particular traits to phylogenies. Relevant lab handouts are attached. 2. Addresses knowledge of scientific method. The basic process of the scientific method is explicitly covered in the lecture portion of the class; the scientific method is applied throughout course as we ask how we our understanding of extinct organisms comes about and address specific controversies. Week 1 of lecture schedule. Laboratory worksheets will require students to formulate and adaptive and phylogenetic hypotheses. The field trip and followup labs (Labs 5-6) will involve students collecting data to test specific hypotheses about the distribution of fossil marine invertebrates. Natural Sciences [SQ/SG] Page 5 Page 5

Criteria (from checksheet) How course meets spirit (contextualize specific examples in next column) Please provide detailed evidence of how course meets criteria (i.e., where in syllabus)

3. Includes coverage of the methods of scientific inquiry that characterize the particular discipline. This course in is especially well suited for this, since we will frequently ask how we know about various aspects of dinosaur biology. It will include how fossils are dated, how exinct organisms are reconstructed, how we determine evolutionary relationships, how we can determine diet and lifestyles of extinct organisms. Stratigraphy and dating will be investigated using real and simulated data to determine relative and absolute ages (Lab 3). Phylogenetic thinking (i.e., evolutionary relationships) will be introduced in lecture and Lab 4, and emphasized in all subsequent labs. In Lab 8, students compare tooth measurements of dinosaurs & modern animals to determine probable diets. Relevant lab handouts are attached. 4. Addresses potential for uncertainty in scientific inquiry. Again, this course is especially well suited for addressing uncertainty, as there is much we don’t and can’t know. Our views of dinosaurs have changed dramatically in the past decades, even the way they are reconstructed. Comparisons of traditional and more modern views will be made extensively in lecture and to a lesser extent in lab (by for example comparing older and newer models). There will also be substantial emphasis on distinguishing what is conjecture vs. what is known more definitively. Lecture includes topics such as warm-blooded dinosaurs, social behavior and extinctions where there is much debate. Lab worksheets ask students to consider which aspects of the models are likely to be well-supported by evidence and which are more conjectural. The lab analyzing the field-collected fossils includes very basic statistical analysis for measuring variation and comparisons. Relevant lab handouts are attached. 5. Illustrates the usefulness of mathematics in scientific description and reasoning Mathematical approaches will be used in phylogenetic analysis, estimating the age of rocks (using half life decay), characterizing community structure (based on fossils collected during field trip), descriptive statistics and basic hypothesis testing (using graphs with standard errors), extrapolating dinosaur mass from scale models, and allometric relationships of body size and other morphological characteristics. Quantitative approaches are included in Labs 3 (radioisotope problems), Lab 4 (natural selection and phylogenetic analysis), Lab 6 (analysis of fossils collected on field trip), Lab 8 (tooth shape comparisons as they relate to diet), Lab 13 (estimation of dinosaur mass by scaling from models and allometric relationships between body mass and leg size) and Lab 15 (evolutionary changes in primate brain size). Relevant lab handouts are attached. Natural Sciences [SQ/SG] Page 6 Page 6

Criteria (from checksheet) How course meets spirit (contextualize specific examples in next column) Please provide detailed evidence of how course meets criteria (i.e., where in syllabus)

8. Course is general or introductory in nature, ordinarily at lower-division level; not a course with great depth or specificity Students will need to know only the broadest groups of dinosaurs and other extinct vertebrates, and will not be expected to know detailed classification or dinosaur diversity. Instead, emphasis will be placed on understanding various geological and biological principles as they pertain to dinosaurs. These include plate tectonics and geological cycles, stratigraphy and radioisotope dating, evolution—including natural selection, adaptation, speciation, macroevolution, extinctions, and phylogenies— ecomorphology (how anatomy relates to ecology & lifestyle), anatomical principles, physiology (the warm vs cold blooded debate will be especially emphasized), and behavior. The current textbook is specifically written for a general audience. See textbook preface and table of contents. Note that only three labs (9-11) emphasize diversity. The 4-5 weeks of lecture devoted to dinosaur diversity is integrated with discussions of biological principles best illustrated by that group of dinosaurs (e.g. the role of sexual selection in the evolution of horned dinosaurs). No previous course work will be required and the course will not count towards any of the majors in the natural sciences. There will not be any comprehensive lab practical exams that test dinosaur identification (only weekly quizzes). A. Stresses understanding of the nature of basic scientific issues. See items 3 and 4 above See items 3 and 4 above B. Develops appreciation of the scope and reality of limitations in scientific capabilities. Studying past life has many inherent limitations that will be addressed throughout this course. Students will be expected to consider what aspects of an organism’s biology as well supported by evidence and which are mere conjecture. See item 4 above C. Discusses costs (time, human, financial) and risks of scientific inquiry. Will be covered in a limited way in lecture. Specific topics that touch on this are the time and effort involved in extracting and preparing fossils (lecture photos and video) and dissiculties and costs of the Central Asiatic Expeditions of the 1920s (video). Natural Sciences [SQ/SG] Page 8 Page 8

Arizona State University West Campus

BIO 113: Dinosaurs

Fall 201x

Course Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Udo M. Savalli Office: FAB N138A; 602-543- Office hours:! [5-6 hours to be determined depending on schedule], or by appointment Email: udo.savalli@asu.edu or dr.udo@savalli.us Course web site: http://www.savalli.us/BIO113/! (Also accessible via Blackboard) Required Text & Supplies: D.E. Fastovsky & D.B. Weishampel 2012. Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History , 2nd ed. Cambridge Univ. Press. ! 4 Scantron forms: 882-E (100 item) Description : Principles of evolution, ecology, behavior, anatomy and physiology using dinosaurs and other extinct life as case studies. Geological processes and the fossil record. Cannot be used for major credit in the biological sciences. Fee. General studies: SG. Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes: Dinosaurs are familiar to all even though they have been extinct for 65 million years. In this class we will study what we know and what we don’t know about dinosaurs. In particular, we will emphasize the techniques used to study dinosaurs and how we can use modern species to better understand what dinosaurs might have been like. Students will understand the scientific method and how it can be applied to testing hypotheses about long-extinct animals. ! Students will understand key scientific principles in evolution, ecology, animal behavior, anatomy, physiology, physics, and geology. Of particular importance are the theories of evolution and continental drift and how they inform our interpretation of the fossil record. Laboratories will use a combination of actual fossils, modern animal analogs, and scale models to study the biology of not only dinosaurs, but also other extinct organisms and evolutionary processes. Students will derive simple phylogenies, and use phylogenetic hypotheses to trace the evolution of particular characteristics. Concepts such as homology and convergent evolution will be stressed. Students will understand the geological cycle and the processes of fossilization and the biases inherent in the fossil record. Students will apply methods of relative and absolute (radioisotope) dating to simulated data to determine the age of fossils. Students will collect data from models to understand allometry and how body size affects various aspects of an organism’s biology. Weekend field trip: A half-day field trip to a fossil collecting site near Payson, AZ will be required. Closed-toed shoes are required. Transportation to and from the field site is the responsibility of the students. If you have a medical condition that places you at an increased risk of harm, please bring documentation and suggestions for minimizing risk to the instructor. Only students enrolled in the course may attend the field trip; friends and family are not permitted for insurance reasons and to ensure a disruption-free learning environment.

Late Assignments : Assignments are due at the start of class on the day indicated on the assignment or announced in class. Work turned in after the due date and time will be severely penalized (minimum of 10% per day) and will not be accepted at all once assignments have been graded and returned to students. Exceptions may be made for serious illness or other extenuating and documented circumstances, at the instructor’s discretion. Attendance : Attendance is essential to success in this class. If you miss a lecture class it is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate as well as any announcements and handouts (most handouts can be downloaded from the course web site). Laboratory attendance is mandatory to pass this course! Due to the nature of these laboratories, missed laboratory sessions cannot be made up. Students will not receive credit for any assignments pertaining to the missed lab. Should medical or personal reasons, religous observances, or University- sanctioned activity prevent you from attending the laboratory, a written note from a doctor or other written evidence must be submitted. In such a case the worksheet or other assignment may be accepted or excused (with the course grade prorated). Please contact the instructor ahead of time (or if that is not possible, as soon as possible afterwards), if you must miss a laboratory period. Students missing more than three laboratories for any reason will not pass this class. Students arriving late or leaving early will lose points on the relevant assignments. Classroom behavior : Students that disrupt the class such as by excessive talking may be asked to leave. Be sure to turn off any cell phones before coming to class : students whose cell phones ring or who are talking on a cell phone during class may be asked to leave; repeated offenses are subject to additional grade penalties. Students with special circumstances (e.g. sick family member) that requires phone access or leaving early should inform the instructor before class begins. Students are expected to exhibit the same behavior on field trips as they would in a classroom. Threatening or violent behavior that interferes with a safe learning environment, damages property, or prevents the conduct of the class will not be tolerated. Students that engage in such behavior will be asked to leave and may face withdrawal from the class and their actions reported to the ASU Police and Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Withdrawal Policy : It is the students’ responsibility to withdraw themselves from the course should this be necessary. The deadline for unrestricted withdrawal is [November 2]. Incomplete Policy : An incomplete grade (I) will only be given to a student that has completed a substantial portion of the class with a grade of C or higher and who is unable to complete the course requirements due to illness or extenuating non-academic circumstances. Documentation will be required. Disabilities : Students that need accomodation for disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center and submit appropriate documentation from the DRC. Cheating will NOT be tolerated! Although students are encouraged to colaborate during laboratories, all take home assignments, exams and quizzes must represent one’s own work unless indicated otherwise by the instructor. At a minimum, students should expect a grade of 0 for any assignment in which students violated the code of academic integrity. For more information, students should consult the ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy at: !! https://provost.asu.edu/index.php?q=academicintegrity

BIO 113 Lecture Schedule

( Dates Based on Fall 2011 ) ! Week of:! Topic! Reading* ! Aug 19! Course Introduction! 1 ! Aug 22-26! What are dinosaurs? Scientific method; History of dinosaur exploration!1, 14 ! Aug 29-Sep 2! How fossils are formed; Stratigraphy and the age of rocks! 1- ! Sep 7-9! Geological History of Earth; Plate tectonics! 2 !! Sep 5: Labor Day — No Class ! Sep 12-16! Principles of evolution; Understanding evolutionary trees! 3 ! Sep 19-23! Vertebrate anatomy: skeletons and movement! 4 !! EXAM 1: September 21 ! Sep 26-30! Vertebrate relationships: dinosaurs and their relatives! 4, 15 ! Oct 3-7! Dinosaur diets; Dinosaur diversity: armored dinosaurs! (75-84); 5 ! Oct 10-14! The sex lives of dinosaurs; Dinosaur diversity: horned dinosaurs! 6 ! Oct 17-21! Dinosaur diversity: duckbills; raising babies! 7 ! Oct 24-28! EXAM 2: October 24 !! Dinosaur diversity: the primitive long-necks! 8 ! Oct 31-Nov 4! Dinosaur diversity: the giants and the problem of being big! 8 ! Nov 7-9! Dinosaur diversity: the meat eaters! 9 !! Nov 11: Veteran’s Day — No Class ! Nov 14-18! Feathered dinosaurs and the origin of birds! 10- ! Nov 21-23! Dinosaur physiology: the warm-blooded debate! 12 !! Nov 25: Thanksgiving — No Class !Nov 28-Dec 2! Dinosaur ecology: how they influenced their environment! 13 !! EXAM 3: December 2 ! Dec 5! The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction! 15 ! Dec 12! FINAL EXAM: 9:50-11:40 pm *Chapters (pages) in Fastovsky & Weishampel 2012. Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History