Course Description & Objectives:
- Introduction to and animals and their classification and characteristics.
- Natural history of East Africa’s animals.
- Ethnozoology; the cultural, biological, environmental and economic value of animals.
- Scientific study of animals, binomial nomenclature animal classification, kingdoms of life; prakaryotes, eukaryotes.
- Origins of metazoa; architectural patterns of animals; levels of organization; animal body plans, animal symmetry, evolution of body cavities, meteorism and caphalization; general characteristics and basic structural features of major invertebrate and vertebrate phyla.
- Adaptability of the chordate plan as exemplified by modern amphibians, reptiles, apes and mammals.
- Animal cells; structure and functions; animal tissues; digestion, excretion, circulation, cellular and respiratory systems, reproduction, nero-endocrine systems and homestasis;
- basic ecological concepts; adaption of organism to their environment; basic concepts of genetics, laws of heredity; mutations, evidence and theories of heritable variation; natural selection; community features, stability and dynamics, zoogeographical animal variation with special reference to Africa (Ecological regions of East Africa and Uganda in particular) – tropical region; mechanisms of isolation.
- Importance of fauna to tourism development.
- Impact of man fauna.
- Conservation and preservation fauna resources and their sustainable utilization.
TOU 1204.doc