Diversity and Evolution of Present-Day and Past Metazoans N1

The EU is interested in describing the morpho-anatomical characteristics of the major organizational plans of metazoans found in present-day and past faunas, as well as in explaining their origin and the dynamics of their emergence. It thus develops a perspective on organisms based on paleontology and zoology. It will primarily address the origin of metazoans and the main divisions—diploblastic and triploblastic organisms—as well as basic concepts related to the positioning and phylogenetic relationships among taxa (mono- and paraphyly, evolutionary convergence, etc.). The course is traditionally divided into lectures, tutorials—which will primarily aim to illustrate and support aspects related to the biodiversity of taxa—and laboratory sessions designed to develop skills, particularly and mandatorily in dissection.

- Understanding current and past biodiversity

- Understand the major milestones in the history of metazoans (origin, organization, extinctions, and diversification of the major groups);

- Understand the taxonomy of the major groups of metazoans;

- Gain an introduction to the interpretation of, as well as the principles and limitations of, phylogenetic reconstructions; - Be able to use techniques for examining organisms at the organismal level, including preparing, observing, describing, quantifying, and interpreting specimen sections or whole specimens, and be able to perform a dissection;

- Be able to present information in an illustrated format, including graphs, diagrams, and observational drawings in a lab report;

- Be able to identify and name, based on a specimen of a metazoan (complete or incomplete, living or fossil), the diagnostic anatomical characteristics of the major taxons;

- Be able to use both the colloquial and formal registers of written and spoken French, incorporating the specific vocabulary used to describe metazoans in both present and past contexts.

Dissection is essential for illustrating and understanding many aspects of structure-function relationships, as well as for understanding differences and similarities among taxa through comparative approaches. It is a required component of the course. Failure to complete this dissection during a lab exam will result in a penalty on the grade for that exercise, as well as on any work requiring observations related to this dissection (for example: justifying an observation or including an observational drawing in a lab report).