FUNDAMENTALS OF ZOOLOGY
Module INVERTEBRATES

Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: OSCAR PAOLO VINCENZO LISI

Expected Learning Outcomes

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In summary: Ability to critically recognize the main groups of invertebrates; knowledge of their characteristics and understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms that have led to the diversification of the main invertebrate taxa.

Dublin descriptors:

 

1)     Knowledge and understanding

Acquire in-depth knowledge on the biodiversity of protists and invertebrates (excluding Hemichordates and Chordates).

Understand the criteria on which the taxonomy and animal systematics are based.

To know the general evolutionary paths that have accompanied the origin and radiation of Metazoa.

Deepen the basic methodologies on taxonomic recognition of invertebrates (excluding Hemichordates and Chordates).

2)     Ability to apply knowledge

Autonomously apply the learned principles of taxonomic recognition on any animal (of the taxa covered in class and workshops) that will be encountered in the future.

Use bibliographic sources to autonomously deepen taxonomic skills and methodologies at more detailed systematic levels.

Carry out general wildlife analysis (also integrating with skills from other disciplines).

3)     Autonomous judgement

To be able to critically evaluate (integrating, where necessary, also with skills deriving from other disciplines) data on animal fauna and taxonomy (for treated taxa), and to compare older analyses with more recent ones, critically understanding the differences.

Interpret, also integrating with skills from other disciplines, the experimental results obtained with a fauna analysis for the purposes of reviews, environmental assessments, etc.

4)     Communication skills

To express clearly and rigorously (for the taxa covered during the lessons) concepts of animal evolution, taxonomy and systematics, both in written and oral form.

Present and discuss the results of wildlife reports or taxonomic reviews (for taxa covered during lectures), with particular attention to the use of appropriate scientific terminology.

Communicate effectively with specialists and non-specialists in the field of zoology for the relevant taxa covered in the course of lectures.

5)     Learning skills

To develop an autonomous study method to deepen the discipline and its applications in the cultural, educational and environmental analysis/protection fields.

To be able to update on new technologies for taxonomic and zoological faunal analysis (also integrating with skills from other disciplines).

Course Structure

Traditional frontal teaching and exercises. Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus. 

Required Prerequisites

Knowledge acquired during the courses of the first year disciplines.

Attendance of Lessons

Mandatory. Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus. 

Detailed Course Content

The diversity of living beings; adaptations; systematics and systematic categories; analogy and homology; phylogenesis; hints of embryology and body architecture. Notes on Protists; origin of multicellularity and first multicellular; characteristics, classification, origin and relationships (between them) of the main phyla of invertebrates: Porifers, Cnidarians, Ctenophores, Acelomorphs, Platelminths, Nemertes, Rotifers, Nematodes, Foronids, Bryozoa, Brachiopods, Molluscs, Anellids, Onychophores, Tardigrades, Arthropods, Echinoderms. The main parasites of man, the possible groupings above the phylum among the Metazoi, as well as the main phylogenetic theories are also focused.

Textbook Information

Teaching material


The teaching material is shared with students during and after the course via links on OneDrive and also via WhatsApp

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Oral exam with recognition of dry or liquid preparations; students are also required to have the ability to draw some simple diagrams and main sections of animals, regularly illustrated during the course of lessons. If, according to current regulations, the exam were carried out remotely, the recognition of preparations and the making of drawings will be replaced by the recognition of images of animals and images of diagrams taken from the slides of the lessons.

After the end of the lessons of the Invertebrate module, at the student's request, it is possible to take an interview to verify the acquisition of the contents of the module.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

See final questions indicated in each set of topics (lecture slides), and pdf file "0 important topics" provided to students.
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