LECTURE COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Diversity (Chapters 1 & 2)

1. Evolution of Elasmobranchs

2. Jaw Evolution (pg. 321-322)

3. Classification/Systematics

II. Anatomy and Movement (Chapters 3, 12 & 13)

1. External Morphology

2. Skeletal System

3. Age Determination

4. Muscular System

5. Locomotion

III. Physiological Systems

1. Digestive System (Chapter 13)

2. Respiratory System (Chapter 6)

3. Reproductive System (Chapter 11)

4. Circulatory System/Endothermy (Chapter 5)

5. Urinary System/Osmoregulation (Chapter 4)

6. Immune System

7. Nervous System/Senses (Chapter 6-10)

IV. Ecology (Chapters 14-16)

1. Ecological Physiology of Coastal Sharks

2. Feeding Ecology

3. Essential Fish Habitat

4. Population Dynamics

5. Habitat Use

6. Nursery/Pupping Areas

LAB COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Identification and Classification

-Work on elasmobranch catalog

-External Anatomy

-Blood Analysis

-Boat Trip on the Franks

Week 2: Identification and Classification

-Work on elasmobranch catalog

-Blood Analysis

-Aging Vertebrae

-Species Catalog Due

-Lab Practical

-Boat Trip on the Franks

Week 3: Anatomy and Systems

-Skeletal and Muscular Systems

-Digestion, Respiration, Circulation, Excretion

-Blood Analysis Report Due

-Boat Trip on the Franks

Week 4: Anatomy and Systems

- Reproduction

- Nervous and Sensory Systems

- Boat trip on the Franks

- Lab Clean Up

- Final Lab Practical

Academic Integrity

All students at the University of Southern Mississippi are expected to demonstrate the highest levels of academic integrity in all that they do. Forms of academic dishonesty include (but are not limited to):

1. Cheating (including copying from others’ work)

2. Plagiarism (representing another person’s words or ideas as your own; failure to properly cite the source of your information, argument, or concepts)

3. Falsification of documents

4. Disclosure of test or other assignment content to another student

5. Submission of the same paper or other assignment to more than one class without the explicit approval of all faculty members’ involved

6. Unauthorized academic collaboration with others

7. Conspiracy to engage in academic misconduct 

Engaging in any of these behaviors or supporting others who do so will result in academic penalties and/or other sanctions. If a faculty member determines that a student has violated our Academic Integrity Policy, sanctions ranging from resubmission of work to course failure may occur, including the possibility of receiving a grade of “XF” for the course, which will be on the student’s transcript with the notation “Failure due to academic misconduct.”  For more details, please see the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Note that repeated acts of academic misconduct will lead to expulsion from the University.