Diversity and evolution of present and past metazoans N1

The EU is interested in describing the morpho-anatomical characteristics of the major organizational plans of metazoans found in present and past faunas, as well as in explaining their origin and their dynamics of appearance. It thus develops a vision of organisms based on paleontology and zoology. It will mainly deal with the origin of metazoans and the main divisions that are diploblastic and triploblastic as well as basic notions related to the positioning and phylogenetic relationships between taxa (mono- and paraphylly, evolutionary convergence...). It is classically divided into lectures, tutorials that will mainly aim at illustrating and supporting aspects related to the biodiversity of taxa and practical work in sessions aiming at the acquisition of skills, especially and necessarily in dissection.

- To know the current and past biodiversity

- Know the major stages in the history of metazoans (appearance, organization, extinctions, diversifications of the main groups);

- Know the taxonomy of the major groups of metazoans;

- Learn about the interpretation, principles and limitations of phylogenetic reconstructions; - Know how to use techniques for exploring organisms at the organism level, including the ability to prepare, observe, describe, quantify and interpret specimen sections or whole specimens and how to set up a dissection technique;

- Know how to represent information in an illustrated form, particularly graphically, schematically, and in the form of an observational drawing in a laboratory report;

- Know how to find and name the anatomical and diagnostic characters of the main taxa from a metazoan specimen (complete or incomplete, present or fossil);

- Know how to use the current and sustained registers of written and oral expression of the French language by integrating the specific vocabulary for the description of metazoans in present and past contexts.

The practice of dissection is fundamental in illustrating and understanding many aspects of structure-function relationships, as well as in understanding differences/commonalities between taxa through comparative approaches. Its practice is required in the EU. Failure to do so in a practical examination will result in a penalty in the grading of this exercise, as well as in any work requiring the use of observations related to this dissection (for example: justification of an observation, making an observation drawing in a practical report).