Overview
Australia is renowned for its unique and diverse vertebrate animals. This unit will provide you with an introduction to Australian vertebrate diversity and to the necessary tools to understand the evolutionary, morphological, behavioural and ecological diversity of Australian vertebrate fauna against the backdrop of global vertebrate diversity and evolution. You will learn to use a wide variety of ‘tools’ (taxonomy, phylogeny, fossils, ecophysiology, comparative anatomy, behavioural ecology) as methods for understanding the past, current, and future vertebrate fauna of Australia. You will also learn and practice the applied skill-sets and techniques required for fauna survey and wildlife research in Australia, proficiency in identification of Australian vertebrates and technical report writing for wildlife monitoring and surveying.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisites: (BIOL11099 Living Systems OR BIOL11102 Life Sciences Laboratory)
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Verbal feedback during residential school.
Found the use of the remote monitoring technology a valuable experience.
Continue to employ and teach the use of non-invasive remote monitoring technology to monitor Australian wildlife.
Feedback from Verbal feedback during residential school.
Appreciated the use of acoustic software to identify and analyze bat calls.
Maintain and continue teaching the use of acoustic software analysis and identification of Australian bat calls
- Describe the evolution, diversity and distribution of major vertebrate fauna in Australia
- Explain the significance of behavioural, reproductive, physiological, and nutritional adaptations in Australian vertebrates
- Apply knowledge about the biology of a species to their applied conservation and management to explain why invasive species pose a threat to Australian vertebrate fauna
- Practice industry and ethical standards and techniques in monitoring, surveying Australian vertebrate fauna
- Communicate knowledge and study findings in verbal and written scientific reports.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 50% | |||||
| 2 - Laboratory/Practical - 0% | |||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.carton@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Subject overview: understanding and explaining vertebrate diversity in Australia
An overview of Australian vertebrate biogeography and evolution
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Fish and Amphibians
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz 1 will open 7:00am Wednesday of Week 2 (AEST).
Module/Topic
Reptiles
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz 1 will close 11:55pm Wednesday of Week 3 (AEST).
Module/Topic
Birds
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz 2 will open 7:00am Wednesday of Week 4 (AEST).
Module/Topic
Monotremes and Marsupials
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz 2 will close 11:55pm Wednesday of Week 5 (AEST).
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Eutheria 'True' Mammals
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Bats
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz 3 will open 7:00am Wednesday of Week 7 (AEST).
Module/Topic
Communication and Subterfuge
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz 3 will close 11:55pm Wednesday of Week 8 (AEST).
Module/Topic
Residential School
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Sexual Selection and Optimising mating decisions
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Parental care, conflict and mating systems
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Where to from here? The future for Australian vertebrates
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
Online Quiz(zes) / Short Answer Questions will test knowledge across three key areas, these are:
Quiz 1 - Fish and Amphibians.
Quiz 2 - Reptiles and Birds.
Quiz 3 - Mammals: Monotremes, Marsupials, True Mammals.
3
Other
Quiz 1 due 11:55pm Wednesday of Week 3; Quiz 2 due 11:55pm Wednesday of Week 5; Quiz 3 due 11:55pm Wednesday of Week 8.
Students will have one attempt per quiz. Questions can be a mix of true/false, multiple choice, mix-and-match, short answers, and other formats. Answers will be assessed on completeness and/or correctness.
Do not share your questions or answers with other students as this may disadvantage other students, and such behaviour will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in academic misconduct.
- Describe the evolution, diversity and distribution of major vertebrate fauna in Australia
- Explain the significance of behavioural, reproductive, physiological, and nutritional adaptations in Australian vertebrates
- Apply knowledge about the biology of a species to their applied conservation and management to explain why invasive species pose a threat to Australian vertebrate fauna
2 Laboratory/Practical
Students will undertake and complete a range of sampling activities in the field. These activities will be undertaken in a collaborative and constructive team environment and address non-invasive techniques used in the surveying and monitoring of Australian vertebrate fauna, and related peripheral skills (e.g. GPS, survey design, data collection, and sample identification). At the conclusion of each sampling activity individuals will present and outline their work and findings to the unit coordinator for summative assessment and feedback.
Week 9 Thursday (12 Sept 2024) 3:00 pm AEST
Present face-to-face during residential school
Week 9 Thursday (12 Sept 2024)
Face-to-face feedback following presentation
Students are assessed on
1. Completeness of details on survey and sampling design.
2. Capacity to setup and operate sampling equipment in the field in a competent manner.
3. Ability to contribute, collaborate and cooperate in a team setting.
4. Capacity to explain preliminary results and conclusions stemming from sampling activities.
- Apply knowledge about the biology of a species to their applied conservation and management to explain why invasive species pose a threat to Australian vertebrate fauna
- Practice industry and ethical standards and techniques in monitoring, surveying Australian vertebrate fauna
- Communicate knowledge and study findings in verbal and written scientific reports.
3 Written Assessment
During your ZOOL19002 Residential School you will undertake wildlife surveying and monitoring activities that require the application of scientific and industry standard monitoring, assessment and surveying methodologies and technologies. These activities will primarily involve the assessment of microbat communities, and diurnally/nocturnally active ground and arboreal fauna.
Following the Residential School you will use the data collected during each activity to write up and present the results and conclusions in the format of a scientific/industry standard report. To assist you with the task of writing up the report, general assistance with the interpretation and analysis of data will be provided at the conclusion of each activity during the Residential School.
Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 11:55 pm AEST
Submit online through Moodle as a Word document.
Exam Week Friday (18 Oct 2024)
Returned to students through Moodle.
Practical Report will be assessed on
1. Completeness (relevant observations, methods and results relating to surveying and monitoring techniques and methodologies used).
2. Discussion of the results in context with current and relevant surveying and monitoring methods for mammalian fauna.
3. Appropriate application and discussion of wildlife assessment(s) and applications/limitations in conservation management.
4. Clarity, grammar, punctuation and organisation.
5. Presentation of figures, tables and diagrams (to publication standard).
6. Correct inline referencing of figures/tables/diagrams.
7. Appropriate and correctly-cited references with appropriate author-date citation (Harvard referencing).
8. Word limit of 2000 words.
Further details of the assessment criteria and rubric will be available on unit Moodle and discussed with students at the conclusion of the Residential School.
- Describe the evolution, diversity and distribution of major vertebrate fauna in Australia
- Explain the significance of behavioural, reproductive, physiological, and nutritional adaptations in Australian vertebrates
- Communicate knowledge and study findings in verbal and written scientific reports.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
