1. To introduce students to the principles of animal taxonomy and phylogeny with an emphasis on animal diversity and the different characteristics of the animal phyla.
2. To introduce students and provide them with skills pertinent to diverse scientific fields such as ecology, evolution, behaviour and structure-function relationships at the level of organism.
3. To investigate critical theoretical and practical aspects of animal bilogy and animal diversity.
4. To develop anatomy, taxonomy and integrative biology skills for students that will enable them to apply such skills in diverse scientific fields.

At the end of the course students should be able to: a) Identify and classify the different animal phyla and explain the structural and developmental features that justify their classification, b) Apply the techniques needed in animal identification and classification, c) Present and explain the various structure-function relationships that enable animals to survive, develop and adapt to their habitat, d) Develop their integrative and critical thinking on diverse topics of Zoology.

In addition, since Molecular Phylogenomics have evolved rapidly in recent years, in ways that have “revolutionized”  our approach to the structure-function relationships at the level of organism, the broader aims of the course are not limited to animal taxonomy but reach out to include structure-function relationships at the molecular and cellular level in animal classification. Therefore, we aim to (a) familiarise students with methods in molecular phylogenomics and genomics, and (b) develop their integrative thinking on functional aspects of individual genes, mechanisms and sets of molecular mechanisms that explain the development and diversity of animals.

Science of Zoology (1 Hr) - Biological Evolution-Animal Taxonomy (2 Hrs) - Reproduction (2 Hrs) - Introduction to Developmental Biology (1 Hr) - Principles of Animal Development (2 Hrs) - Unicellular Eukaryotes (2 Hrs) - Transition to Multicellularity (1 Hr) - Pathogenic Unicellular Eukaryotes (2 Hrs) - Porifera-Cnidaria (2 Hrs) - Principles of Parasitism (1 Hr) - Platyhelminthes (2 Hrs) - Lophotrochozoa (2 Hrs) - Animal-derived Biomaterials (1 Hr) - Mollusca (2 Hrs) - Annelida (2 Hrs) - Toxins-Poisons (1 Hr) - Lesser Ecdysozoa (2 Hrs) - Myriapoda-Chelicerata (2 Hrs) - Insects and Humans (1 Hr) - Hexapoda (2 Hrs) - Crustacea (2 Hrs) - Animal Cognition (1 Hr) - Ambulacraria (2 Hrs) - Early Chordates (2 Hrs) - Big Sharks: Threat or Threatened (1 Hr) - Osteichthyes (4 Hrs) - Animal Homeostasis (1 Hr) - Amphibia (4 Hrs) - Animal Diversity in Greece (1 Hr) - Reptilia (4 Hrs) - Animal Behaviour (1 Hr) - Aves (4 Hrs) - Comparative Anatomy (1 Hr) - Mammalia (4 Hrs)

1. Unicellular Eukaryotes – 2. Porifera-Cnidaria – 3. Mollusca – 4. Worms – 5. Land Arthropods – 6. Crustacea – 7. Osteichthyes – 8. Amphibia – 9. Reptilia – 10. Mammalia

Upon completion of the course, written exams are taking place in February at the end of the fall semester. The written exams last for 3 hrs in which time students are required to answer to 10 theoretical questions pertinent to the lectures and also answer to 10 practical questions pertinent to the practical classes they attended.

Students must have attended all practical classes to be eligible to sit for the practicals’ exams otherwise they are obliged to attend the course the following year. Exam papers are marked with a range of 0-10 (lowest-highest) and a student is regarded as passing the course only when he/she has scored at least 5/10 in the theoretical as well as practicals’ exams.

Any student that has failed to either or both of these can re-sit for the exams in September at the end of the academic year. Students with disabilities or learning difficulties can ask for an oral exam, in addition to the written exam that they sit for.

The grade of laboratory exams contributes 40% to the final, total, course grade and the grade of the theory exams contributes 60%.