06755 - Agricultural Zoology

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the student will acquire basic knowledge of the relationships between animals and their environment, with particular emphasis on animal adaptations to their habitats. Moreover, the student will recognize the general characteristics of the main animal phyla relevant to agriculture and landscape management. They will also acquire knowledge of the morphology and fundamental physiology of insects and mites, as well as the morphology, basic physiology, ecology, and damage caused by plant-parasitic nematodes.

Course contents

General Zoology (1.5 CFU)

Introduction to zoology from an evolutionary and ecological perspective.

Animal cytology: structure and function of animal cells.

Heredity and cell division: nucleic acids and gene expression, mitosis and meiosis, and reproductive strategies.

Evolutionary theory and the origin of life: evidences and mechanisms; basics of taxonomy and phylogeny.

Fundamentals of animal ecology.

 

Systematic Zoology (1.5 CFU)

Overview of systematics and applied zoology for the following groups:

Porifera

Cnidaria

Platyhelminthes

Mollusca

Annelida

Nematoda

Arthropoda

Fundamentals of insect morphology, anatomy and physiology. Development stages of insects, Insect life cycles and metamorphosis

Readings/Bibliography

After the lectures, the teacher will provide the teaching materials presented in class.

 

The following texts are recommended as references for further study:

Baccetti B., et al. (1995) Trattato italiano di zoologia. Zanichelli Editore.

Baccetti B., et al. (2000) Manuale di Zoologia agraria. Antonio Delfino Editore.

Miller S. A. & Tupper T. A. (2023) Zoology, 12th edition. McGraw Hill LLC.

Hickman C. P., et al. (2023) Integrated Principles of Zoology, 19th edition. McGraw-Hill LLC.

Teaching methods

The course consists of 30 hours of lectures, covering the entire syllabus. Theoretical knowledge will be applied through practical examples, primarily from European fauna. Lectures will be supplemented with photographic/multimedia materials and occasionally the observation of entomological collections and preserved specimens.

Assessment methods

Learning outcomes will be assessed through an oral examination (20-30 minutes). A single evaluation will be assigned to the student based on their performance across all questions, with a maximum score of 30/30 (possibly with laude).

The oral exam will cover topics presented in lectures (and discussed in recommended texts and teaching materials). Evaluation criteria include:

Knowledge, understanding, and depth of the topics covered.

Critical thinking and presentation skills.

Accuracy of scientific terminology.

Insufficient knowledge and/or inappropriate language—even within a minimal understanding of the subject—will result in a negative evaluation.

 

Exam Scheduling

Exams are scheduled within the academic calendar. Students must register for the oral exam exclusively through the Alma Esami online system. For registration details, visit: https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm.

 

Students with special accommodations may contact the instructor to arrange an alternative exam date if necessary.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Masetti