University of Cape Town
Courses Offered by the Department Below you will find details of the courses offered by the depatment, including both undergraduate courses and postgraduate programmes. The departmental abbreviation for Zoology is ZOO. Undergraduate Courses Zoology as a major subject A Zoology major shall normally consist of Cell Biology (BIO100F/S) and Biological Diversity (BIO104F/S) and a full first-year course in Chemistry, during the first year, followed by any two of ZOO200F, ZOO201S and ZOO202S in the second year, and ZOO301S plus any one (or more) of ZOO300F, ZOO302F and ZOO303S in the third year. With permission of the Head of Department, students who have completed Physiology PGY202W or equivalent may substitute another third-year level Zoology course for ZOO301S. NOTE: Supplementary examinations are not normally granted to students for senior courses in Zoology. First Year Courses BIO100H, BIO100F and BIO100S CELL BIOLOGY See course details under Department of Botany. BIO104F BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY This course has been discontinued BIO104S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Course co-ordinator: Mr J Jordaan. E-mail: jjordaan@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: Entrance requirements: BIO100F/S or a pass in biology at matriculation level or by permission of the Head of the Zoology Department. Course outline: The diversity and unity of life. Historical perspectives and the meaning of evolution. Modern theories about the mechanisms of evolution. Origin of species including mankind and the evolution of diversity. Organismal interactions including animal/plant symbiosis, mutualism and parasitism and the influence of humankind on biological interactions and the environment. Lectures: Five lectures per week, Monday to Friday, 5th period Practicals: One practical per week on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, 14h00-17h00. Practicals will examine animal and plant diversity. Field Work: There will be a compulsory 1-day excursion which will be held over a weekend. DP requirements: 80% of practicals and complete set of tutorials Examination requirements: Class record counts 33%; one 2½-hour theory paper written in November counts 40%; one 1½-hour practical examination written in November counts 27%. Second Year Courses BIO200F APPLIED ECOLOGY See course details under Department of Botany ZOO200F PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY Course co-ordinator: Professor C L Griffiths : E-mail: clgriff@pop.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: BIO100F/S and BIO104F/S and attainment of 40% or more in a full first-year Chemistry course or completion of CEM109S Course outline: Topics covered include population genetics, the ecology of individuals, populations, and communities behavioural ecology, limnology,conservation biology and marine ecosystems. In addition to formal lectures, practicals and tutorials, there is a compulsory 5-day field camp during the Easter vacation. Lectures: Four lectures per week, Monday to Thursday, 4th period; voluntary attendance at seminar on Friday Practicals: One practical per week on Monday, 14h40-17h00 DP requirements: Minimum of 40% in class record, attendance at field camp Examination requirements: Class record (including one test covering practical material and theory) counts 50%; one 3-hour theory paper written in June counts 50% (a subminimum of 35% is required). ZOO201S INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY Course co-ordinator: Prof B R Davies. E-mail: brdavies@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: BIO100F/S, BIO104F/S, and attainment of 40% or more in a full first-year Chemistry course or completion of CEM109S Course outline: This concept-driven course deals with the origins and diversity of invertebrates and comparative invertebrate functional morphology, neurophysiology, locomotion, feeding, respiration, excretion and evolution. The objective of the course is to gain a working knowledge of functional anatomy, ecology and physiological adaptations of the invertebrate fauna, excluding the insects, through observation and dissection, and to develop interpretative skills. The development of scientific skills, eg. writing ability, information synthesis, dissection techniques, drawing, slide preparation and experimental biology techniques, is also pursued. Practical exposure to invertebrate diversity includes a major project on a selected theme (feeding or reproduction or locomotion) by individual students. Lectures: Four lectures per week, Monday to Thursday, 4th period Practicals: One practical per week on Monday, 14h00-17h00 DP requirements: Submission of project, attendance at 2/3 of practicals Examination requirements: Class record counts 50%; one 3-hour theory paper written in November counts 35%; one 4½-hour practical examination written in November counts 15% (a subminimum of 35% is required). ZOO202S ENTOMOLOGY Course co-ordinator: Dr M D Picker : E-mail:mpicker@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: BIO100F/S, BIO104F/S. Course outline: This course is designed to familiarise students with insects as living organisms, focusing on their role in African ecosystems. Emphasis will be placed on insect diversity, ecology and applied entomology. Structure and function of the insect body will provide the background for topics such as metamorphosis and flight. Ecological topics will include herbivory and pollination, while behavioural topics will include sex attractants and sociality as a life style. The medical and agricultural importance of insects in Africa will be covered, along with control measures for pest species. The use of insects as bioindicators will also be covered. There will be a compulsory spring field trip of approximately two days, which will provide a hands-on introduction to the diversity and ecology of insects, and an opportunity for students to obtain material for their collections. Lectures: Four lectures per week, Monday to Thursday, 2nd period Practicals: One practical per week on Wednesday, 14h00-17h00 DP requirements: Submission of essay and project, attendance at 2/3 of practicals, and attendance at field camp Examination requirements: Class record counts 40%; one 3-hour theory paper in November counts 40%; one 3-hour practical examination in November counts 20%. Third Year Courses BIO300S SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION See course details under Department of Botany. ZOO300F FUNCTIONAL VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY Course co-ordinator: Dr G N Bronner : E-mail: gbronner@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: BIO100F/S, BIO104F/S, and a full first-year course in Chemistry Course outline: The course consists of a series of lectures and practical work on vertebrate functional morphology, physiology and evolution. There is a compulsory 4-day field camp during the mid-term vacation. Lectures: Five lectures per week, Monday to Friday, 4th period Practicals: Two practicals per week on Friday and Monday or Tuesday, 14h00-17h00 DP requirements: Attendance at 2/3 of practicals Examination requirements: Class record counts 331/3%; one 3½-hour theory paper and one 4½-hour practical examination written in June each count 331/3%. ZOO302F MARINE ECOLOGY Course co-ordinator: Dr M I Lucas. E-mail: mlucas@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: ZOO200F, and either ZOO201S or ZOO202S, and a full first-year course in Chemistry Course outline: The course includes an introduction to: the South African marine environment, biological oceanography, plankton ecology, benthic ecology, mariculture, fisheries biology (with special attention to major South African fisheries), sandy beach ecology, estuarine ecology and rocky shore ecology. Special topics are covered in seminars. In addition to formal lectures, tutorials and set practicals, students are required to undertake field work and a research project. There is a compulsory 4-day field camp during registration week. Lectures: Five lectures per week, Monday to Friday, 2nd period Practicals: One practical per week on Wednesday, 14h00-17h00 DP requirements: Submission of project and essay, attendance at field camp Examination requirements: Class record (essay, project, seminar and class test) counts 50%; one 3-hour theory paper written in June counts 50% (a sub-minimum of 40% is required). ZOO303S INLAND WATER ECOSYSTEMS Course co-ordinator: Dr J A Day. E-mail: jday@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: BIO104F/S , ZOO200F or equivalent and first-year chemistry course, or by arrangement with course convener (may be taken in third academic year of study only). Course outline: The course addresses issues concerning the functioning, conservation and management of inland water ecosystems, including rivers, wetlands, lakes and reservoirs, and estuaries. Topics include ecosystem processes, ecology of populations and communities, the ecological impacts of human disturbance of fresh waters and management and conservation issues. A field trip during the last week of the winter vacation is compulsory. The field camp limits intake to 24 students. Lectures: Five lectures per week, Monday to Friday, 2nd period Practicals: One practical per week on Monday 14h00-17h00 DP requirements: Attendance at field camp, handing in of all course assignments Examination requirements: Class record counts 50%; one 3-hour theory examination paper counts 30% and one 4-hour written practical examination counts 15% and an oral counts 5%. ZOO304F BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY This is a residential course starting four weeks before registration. Students wishing to register for this course must apply in November of the preceding year. Course co-ordinator: Dr D S Jacobs. E-mail: djacobs@botzoo.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: BIO100F or BIO100S and BIO104F or BIO104S and ZOO200F, but see course outline below for special concessions. Course outline: The course will investigate the relationship between an organism’s behaviour and its environment in an evolutionary context. It considers the ecological context of foraging behaviour, competitive relationships, predator/prey arms races, sexual conflict and sexual selection, and selfishness and altruism, from an evolutionary perspective. The course will be conducted mainly in the field, with an emphasis on observing animal behaviour in a natural setting. It should appeal to students who are interested in the design of behavioural experiments and computer analysis of behavioural data, as well as a deeper appreciation of evolutionary processes. The fieldwork/lecture component of the course will take place over three weeks at De Hoop Nature Reserve during the last two weeks in January and the first week in February. The rest of the semester will be taken up by research projects and essays. This course is jointly run by UCT, University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Western Cape, and includes students from all three institutions. Lectures: By arrangement Practicals: By arrangement. A mini-project is compulsory DP requirements: Field camp is compulsory Examination requirements: Class record counts 50%, one 3-hour theory paper written in June counts 50%. Postgraduate Courses ZOO400W BSc (HONS) IN ZOOLOGY Course administrator: Professor J G Field. E-mail: jgfield@pop.uct.ac.za Entrance requirements: A BSc degree with a major in Zoology or equivalent. Entrance limited to 12-15 students per year. Course outline: A training in research methodology, including original research projects. The honours course is designed to enrich the students’ appreciation of theory through advanced coursework, essays, seminars, discussion groups and compulsory fieldwork. In addition to a compulsory core module including biostatistics, history and philosophy of science, and communication techniques, students are expected to choose two options from the following:
A Botany option may be substituted for one of the above, or a senior undergraduate semester course may be substituted for an option or a project. ZOO401W BSc (HONS) IN ZOOLOGY (MARINE BIOLOGY) Entrance requirements: As for BSc (Hons) in Zoology, plus ZOO302S (Marine Ecology) which may be completed concurrently. The programme is similar to that for BSc (Hons) in Zoology except that projectsand options will deal mainly with marine biology or closely related topics. ZOO402W BSc (HONS) IN ZOOLOGY (AVIAN BIOLOGY) Entrance requirements: As for BSc (Hons) in Zoology The programme is similar to that for BSc (Hons) in Zoology except that projects and options will deal mainly with birds. ZOO404W BSc (HONS) IN ZOOLOGY (FRESHWATER BIOLOGY) Entrance requirements: As for BSc (Hons) Zoology. The programme is similar to that for BSc (Hons) in Zoology except that projects and options will deal mainly with freshwater biology. MSc BY DISSERTATION ONLY: ZOO500W MSc IN ZOOLOGY A training in research techniques leading to a dissertation. BIO501W/502W MSc IN SYSTEMATICS AND BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE See course details under Department of Botany ZOO503W and ZOO504W TAUGHT MASTERS COURSE IN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY Course administrator: Associate Professor T M Crowe. E-mail: tmcrowe@botzoo.uct.ac.za This one-year course trains students to identify threatened species, ecosystems and ecological processes, and to develop appropriate measures to mitigate or reduce the effects of particular threats. It is intended for students concerned with the preservation of biotic diversity, as well as the sustainable utilization of renewable natural resources. The course offers formal training in eleven fields of conservation biology: biodiversity, modelling, demography of wild populations, minimum viable populations, genetics, monitoring and time-series analysis, community-level interactions, invasive aliens, disturbance ecology, landscape ecology and geographic information systems, and decision analysis and applied management models. Coursework (ZOO503W) will be examined in November, followed by a mini-dissertation (ZOO504W) in January. A handbook for the course is available from the Director, Percy FitzPatrick Institute. ZOO505W TAUGHT MASTERS COURSE IN APPLIED MARINE SCIENCE Course administrator: Dr C Moloney. E-mail: cmoloney@botzoo.uct.ac.za The overall objective of this degree by coursework is to provide education and training in a broad range of marine science disciplines. It is intended for students who intend to move into applied aspects of marine science, where practical methods combined with good insights are needed. The course has two components. Component 1 consists of a series of modules that are conducted in a classroom setting, although practical field and laboratory work is an important part of some modules. The range of topics to be covered includes: ocean circulation, coastal and shelf oceanography, marine ecology, quantitative methods in data analysis, sampling and surveys, health of the oceans, climate, project management, modelling, living marine resource management, meteorology and oceans, coastal zone management, mariculture. Each student receives a mark for each of the modules, and the modules are examined in groups during ‘open-book’ examinations. Component 2 is a research project intended for publication as a scientific paper. ZOO600W PhD IN ZOOLOGY This degree is offered in a number of specialised zoological fields, eg. marine ecology, animal behaviour, freshwater biology, ornithology, entomology, mammalogy and environmental physiology. Candidates are referred to the rules for this degree as set out in Book 3, General Rules for Students.
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