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Unit of study_
BIOL3045: Animal Ecological Physiology
2025 unit information
Animal Ecological Physiology links evolutionary concepts of adaptation and plasticity to ecology and conservation. The unit focusses on interactions between organisms and their environment, including human-made environmental drivers such as climate change and pollution. The core concepts covered are essential to understand biodiversity and ecological function of animal populations, and how these are likely to change under future conditions. The unit is suitable for those with an interest in physiology, ecology, evolution, and conservation. There is a strong focus on experimental biology, and during practical classes students design their own hands-on experiment and conduct a meta-analysis on a topic of their choice. Good working knowledge of statistical analyses is assumed. The unit provides essential skills for planning, conducting, and presenting research, and for critical evaluation of published research.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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[12 credit points of BIOL2XXX] or [6 credit points of BIOL2XXX and (MBLG2X72 or GEGE2X01 or GENE2002)] |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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BIOL3945 or BIOL3011 or BIOL3911 or BIOL3012 or BIOL3912 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand the importance of phenotypic plasticity and adaptation
- LO2. Understand the effect of changing abiotic environments on animal function
- LO3. Understand the principles of physiological regulation
- LO4. Understand the importance of nutrition for animal function
- LO5. Understand the role of physiology in conservation
- LO6. Design experiments and analyse data
- LO7. Apply information and computing skills to access appropriate databases and other resources to gather and assess information about animal biology
- LO8. Read and evaluate the scientific literature critically
- LO9. Develop written communication skills to disseminate knowledge relating to animal biology
- LO10. Work constructively and respectfully in a team environment.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
