Course Syllabus

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

(UN)COMMON READ: YOUR INNER FISH

IDH 3931 13AH

 

Spring, 2016

Class meetings: 119 Hume Hall; Thursdays, 10:40–11:30 AM (4th period)

 

Instructors:

Dr. Jonathan Bloch (FLMNH, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology)

Email: jbloch@flmnh.ufl.edu

Office: 222 Dickinson Hall

 

Dr. David Blackburn (FLMNH, Curator of Amphibians & Reptiles).

Email: dblackburn@flmnh.ufl.edu

Office: 262 Dickinson Hall

 

*Office hours by appointment (email or talk to us before/after class)

 

Required Text: “Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body” by Neil Shubin.

Required Video: “Your Inner Fish: The Series (three episodes). Available for free online (PBS): http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/your-inner-fish-series

PowerPoint slides (teaching tools): http://tiktaalik.uchicago.edu/book-tools.html

 

Book Description:

Professor Neil Shubin from the University of Chicago is a paleontologist who studies the fishes and amphibians. He has also taught human anatomy. In the world of science, he is perhaps best known for his discoveries of the 375 million-year-old Tiktaalik, an amazing fossil that documents a critical part of the evolution of tetrapods (four-legged animals) from fish. In this book, he tells the story of evolution by tracing the origins of human anatomy back across millions of years of vertebrate evolution weaving together evidence from fossils, development, and DNA. He argues that we carry the whole history of evolution within our own bodies, providing a compelling evolutionary window onto “what it means to be human.”

 

Course Description:

We will cover topics that include descent with modification, homology of structures, the genetic basis of anatomical structures, the evolution of teeth, head, limbs, sensory systems, and the meaning of it all to us.

 

Assignments & Expectations:

Each week the students will come to class prepared to discuss a new chapter of the eleven-chapter book. Preparation for each week’s class will include a 1-page summary of the reading and a set of prepared discussion questions to stimulate conversation. It is expected that each student will lead the discussion for one of the chapters during the semester, which will include discussion of at least one paper from the primary literature related to this chapter. Students will also watch the award-winning (http://bit.ly/InnerFishAwards) PBS three-part series “Your Inner fish” which expands on many of the topics discussed in the book.

 

Each student will be required to write a short research paper that explores in detail one of the topics introduced in the book. These papers will be due towards the end of the course and results will be presented by the student and discussed in a short class presentation.

 

Grading:

Weekly Reading/Assignments—30%

Participation in Discussion—30%

Research Paper—20%

Presentation—20%

 

Class Schedule:

 

Week 1: January 7

Introduction to the course

 

Week 2: January 14

Chapter 1: Finding Your Inner Fish

Chapter 2: Getting a Grip

 

Week 3: January 21

Chapter 3: Handy Genes

 

Week 4: January 28

Chapter 4: Teeth Everywhere

 

Week 5: February 4

Chapter 5: Getting Ahead

 

Week 6: February 11

Chapter 6: The Best-Laid (Body) Plans

 

Week 7: February 18

Chapter 7: Adventures in bodybuilding

*Due: topic of short research paper*

 

Week 8: February 25

Chapter 8: Making Scents

Chapter 9: Vision

 

Week 9: March 3

UF Spring Break-NO CLASS

 

Week 10: March 10

Chapter 10: Ears

Supplementary Reading: Ji, Q., Luo, Z. X., Zhang, X., Yuan, C. X., & Xu, L. (2009). Evolutionary development of the middle ear in Mesozoic therian mammals. Science, 326(5950), 278-281.

 

Week 11: March 17

Tours of the Florida Museum of Natural History Herpetology and Vertebrate Paleontology research collections

 

Week 12: March 24

NO CLASS

 

Week 13: March 31

Chapter 11: The Meaning of It All

PBS Video Episode 1: Your Inner Fish

*Research Papers Due*

 

Week 14: April 7

*Research presentations*

PBS Video Episode 2: Your Inner Reptile

 

Week 15: April 14

*Research presentations*

PBS Video Episode 3: Your Inner Monkey

 

Optional (throughout the semester):

Participation in Florida Museum of Natural History Spring fossil digs: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/volunteering/field/

Follow link to volunteer form & digging schedule (pdf format).

Come dig with us, we are finding great stuff!