Diversity and evolution of past and present metazoans N2

This course is a continuation of the L2 S3 course, which focuses on describing the morpho-anatomical characteristics of the major organizational plans of metazoans found in present and past faunas, and on explaining their origin and the dynamics of their appearance, through the acquisition of skills in paleontology and zoology. In S4, the main focus will be on the major subdivisions within protostomian organisms such as lophotrochozoa (annelids, mollusks, brachiopods, etc.) and ecdysozoa (arthropods, nematodes, etc.), with emphasis on their phylogenetic relationships and their socio-economic importance and impact. The course is classically divided into lectures and tutorials, mainly aimed at illustrating and supporting aspects of taxon biodiversity, and practical work in sessions aimed at acquiring skills, in particular and necessarily through the performance of certain dissections.

- Understanding the past and present biodiversity of metazoans;

- Know/reinforce knowledge of the major stages in the history of metazoans (appearance, organization, extinctions, diversifications of the groups considered in the EU);

- Understand/reinforce knowledge and skills concerning the taxonomy of the major metazoan groups and their phylogenetic relationships;

- Know how to use techniques for exploring organisms at the organism level, including how to prepare, observe, describe, quantify and interpret specimen sections or whole specimens, and how to set up a dissection technique;

- 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;

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

- Use the standard and sustained registers of written and spoken French, integrating the specific vocabulary needed to describe metazoans in present and past contexts.

- grade >8/20 in the " Diversity and evolution of present and past metazoans - Level 1 " UE in L2 S3 (exemption possible if integration requested during the academic year, after joint validation of skills by the UE supervisors).

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).