BIO150Y ZOO364H1 Vertebrate Materials and Structures 13L, 39P Structure and function of the vertebrate skeleto-muscular system from an engineering and materials science perspective. Topics include stress and strain, Young's modulus, Poisson's ration, linear and non-linear elasticity, elastomers, tensile and compressive strength, isotropy and anisotropy, toughness, beams, columns, bridges, trusses, levers, solid friction, lubrication theory, and properties of bones, cartilage, tendons, and muscles. ZOO263Y ZOO367H1 Topics in Palaeobiology 39L Introduction to the principles and methodology of palaeobiology, the significance of fossils in phylogenetic reconstruction, origin and long-term changes in major ecosystems, molecular evolution and the fossil record and importance of mass extinctions. ZOO386H1 Avian Biology 13L, 39P Behavioural ecology, ecomorphology, adaptive strategies, breeding behaviour, migration, vocalizations and cultural evolution, the origin of birds, conservation issues, the importance of birds to humans, and history of ornithology. Laboratories use the comprehensive world-wide collections of birds at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Laboratory includes a survey of Ontario mammals.
Laboratory surveys mammalian orders, their characteristics, identification, and systematic relationships. This course deals with the mechanisms controlling the various stages of epimorphic as well as tissue regeneration of limbs and the reconstruction of organs in vertebrates, as well as the causality of the morphogenetic events. A seminar course dealing with recent research in selected areas of neurobiology. 26P Computer-assisted methods for constructing and testing phylogenetic hypotheses are introduced through lectures and laboratories. Molecular, biochemical, and morphological data are compared and contrasted as indicators of relationships.