BIOLOGIA EVOLUTIVA DEGLI ANIMALI MARINI

The educational goal of the course is to make known to the students the most important biological processes that led to the evolution and adaptation of the invertebrates and vertebrates to the marine environment. The student must be able to understand that these processes comes from the interplay between anatomical, physiological, ethological and ecological characters.

Diversity, evolution and classification of marine Vertebrates. Evolution of Vertebrate anatomical systems. Homeostasis and energy balance: water balance, thermoregulation. Radiation and evolutionary specializations of Chondrichthyes. Elasmobranch electroreception. The dominant life in water: Osteichthyans radiation. Respiration and locomotion in water. The sensory world of fishes. The lateral line. The electric fishes. Teleost’s specialization. Marine Reptiles. Chelonian form and function. Navigation and migration. Conservation of marine turtles. Aquatic birds. Dive and swim underwater. Marine Mammals and their specializations