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Instructor:
Dr. Kaci Thompson
ofce: 1313 Symons Hall
ofce hours: by appointment
phone: 405-2160
email: kaci@umd.edu
Teaching Assistant:
Danielle Adams
ofce hours: by appointment
email: dadams37@umd.edu
Overview
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the biology of the class Mammalia. The rst portion of
the course examines the diagnostic characteristics of mammals, how they evolved and their phylogenic
relationships. The middle portion of the course is a survey of the living mammalian orders: their
diagnostic features, life history characteristics and physiological and behavioral specializations. The last
section of the course focuses on broad biological concepts and special topics as they relate to mammals.
Course format
Text: Feldhamer, G.A., Drickamer, L.C., Vessey, S.H., Merritt, J.F., and Krajewski,C. 2007. Mammalogy:
Adaptation, Diversity and Ecology, 3rd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm in room 1140 Plant Sciences Building
Website: http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/
The Mammalogy website has extensive supplemental material for the course, including lecture outlines,
copies of past exams, and an image archive of living mammals. In addition, we will be utilizing ELMS for
announcements, tracking grades and asking questions of general relevance to the class. ELMS can be
accessed at http://www.elms.umd.edu.
I recommend that you print out lecture outlines prior to coming to class. The outlines are intended to help
you organize the material we will be covering and to enable you to listen to lectures rather than doing an
inordinate amount of notetaking. You can add your notes directly to the outlines.
Assignment of grades: There will be two hourly exams, each worth 100 points towards the nal grade.
Assignment of grades: There will be two hourly exams, each worth 100 points towards the nal grade.
The nal exam (worth 150 points) will be cumulative, and will stress the information covered after the
second hourly exam. The exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions, and they will
be drawn primarily from the lectures. There will also be ve short written assignments that will be based
on the reading of a scientic paper (worth 20 points each, for a total of 100 points). Thus, your nal grade
will be calculated based on a total of 450 possible points. In most years, I have not curved the grades, but I
reserve the right to do so if the distribution of grades warrants. Any curves will be based upon nal point
totals only, and will always be in favor of the student (i.e., if you earn 90-100% of the possible points, you
are guaranteed an A).
Regrade policy: Regrade requests must be made in writing and must be submitted within one week after
the answer key has been posted on the website. Please check your answers against those in the answer key
before submitting your regrade!
Attendance: In accordance with university policy, attendance in lecture is not mandatory, but it is soley
your responsibility to obtain notes from lectures that you miss. If you miss a lecture, you should plan to
obtain detailed notes from a classmate to supplement the lecture outlines available on the class website.
Make-up policy: Make-up exams and assignments will be given only in the case of illness of the student
or a dependent, death in the family, religious observance, or participation in University activities at the
request of University authorities. Documentation is required. If the absence is forseable, you must notify
me at least one week in advance of the anticipated absence. If the absence is unforseen, you must present
documentation to me within one week of the missed exam to have the opportunity to make up the missed
work.
Academic integrity: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. The University of Maryland, College
Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council.
This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students.
As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you
to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more
information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit the Ofce of
Student Conduct
http://www.studentconduct.umd.edu/. The complete Code of Academic Intergrity can be found here
http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/iii100a.html
To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all
examinations and assignments: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized
assistance on this examination (assignment)."