Diversity and evolution of past and present metazoans N1

The EU aims to describe the morpho-anatomical characteristics of the major organizational plans of metazoans found in present and past faunas, and to explain their origin and the dynamics of their appearance. It thus develops a vision of organisms based on paleontology and zoology. It will focus on the origin of metazoans and the main divisions, diploblastic and triploblastic, as well as basic notions of phylogenetic positioning and relationships between taxa (mono- and paraphylly, evolutionary convergence, etc.). The course is classically divided into lectures, tutorials aimed primarily at illustrating and supporting aspects of taxon biodiversity, and practical work in sessions aimed at acquiring skills, particularly and necessarily in dissection.

- Understanding past and present biodiversity

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

- Know the taxonomy of the major metazoan groups;

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

- Represent information in illustrated form, particularly graphically, schematically, and in the form of an observational drawing in a laboratory report;

- From a metazoan specimen (complete or incomplete, present-day or fossil), be able to find and name the diagnostic anatomical characters of the main taxa;

- Use the standard and sustained registers of written and spoken French, integrating the specific vocabulary needed to describe 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. Dissection must be practised throughout the course. 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 (e.g.: justification of an observation, production of an observation drawing in a practical report).