Bio 415: Mammalogy

Wilbert N. Chitaukali
Department of Biological Sciences

Bio 415: Mammalogy

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 Course Outline
• Programme
• Module
• Code
• Year
• Academic Year
• Presented to
• Presented by
• Lecture hours/week
• Practical hours/week
• Course duration
• Course Lecturer
• Method of Assessment
: Bachelor of Science
: Mammalogy
: Bio 415
: Four
: 2015/16
: Senate through Faculty of Sc.
: Depart. of Biological Sciences
: Three
: Three
: 14 weeks
: W.N. Chitaukali (Office No.
N2/2510)
: Continous assess. 40%
End of sem. exam. 60%

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 Aim of Study
• The course aims at making students familiar
with the characteristics, diversity, and
distribution of mammals worldwide.
• Students would be required to know the
mammalian orders and families including the
anatomical, morphological, behavioral and
ecological features that characterize each
taxon.
• Students will be equipped with mammalian
field study techniques such as collecting
methods, specimen preservation methods.
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 Course Content
• This is an introductory course in Mammalogy
focusing on structural features of mammals,
their evolution and classification.
• Ecological, anatomical and physiological
adaptations of mammals to different
environments will also be studied.
• Laboratory emphasis is on the
characterization, identification, taxonomy
using Malawian mammals.
• Practicals will be done based on availability of
materials Bio 415: Mammalogy
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 Course outline
Topics of Study
• Introduction
• Characteristics of mammals
• Evolution of mammals (Synapsid reptiles, Early
mammalian radiations)
• Morphology
– External anatomy (skin, hair, horns and antlers,
claws, nails and hoofs)
– Internal anatomy (Skull, dentition, tooth structure,
vertebrae limbs).
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 Topics of Study
• Adaptations (fossorial, aquatic, terrestrial,
arboreal, aerial).
• Nervous system (brain; sense organs; smell;
hearing; visual).
• Reproduction
• Zoogeography (distribution, faunal regions,
origin of continental faunas)
• Mammalian diversity

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 Course outline
• Prototheria -Monotremes
• Theria
– Metatheria (marsupials)
– Eutheria (placental mammals)
• emphasis will be on special features that
characterize each taxon
• Malawian mammals and their conservation
status

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 Course outline
Practicals
• Introduction to field methods
• Trapping mammals: sexing and obtaining
morphometric measurements
• Preparation of Scientific specimens of mammals
(study skins)
• Identification of Mammalian orders and families
using cranial and dental features
• Possibly field trip to the Museums of Malawi and
to one of the National Parks/ Wildlife reserves

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 Course outline
• Course Lecturer : W.N. Chitaukali Office No.
N2/2510) ; 0888516767
wchitaukali@cc.ac.mw
Note:
• Students are expected to attend all class and laboratory
sessions.
• You must notify me, through the Registrar’s office, of any
absence. A mark of ‘0’ will be awarded for a practical and
an exam that you miss without valid reasons.
• It is expected that you will take down your own short
notes during lectures and that you will bring your lecture
notes and practical schedules to each practical session.

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 Course outline
Academic Misconduct
• This refers to any kind of cheating that occurs
in relation to an academic exercise. It includes
the following:
• Plagiarism - using someone’s work as your
own, without proper acknowledgements. Be it
from a colleague, books, internet, etc
• Fabrication - Intentional falsification of
data, information or citations

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 Course Outline
• Deception - Providing false information for
missing a deadline or claiming to have submitted
an assignment
• Bribery - paying money in exchange for academic
work
• Sabotage - preventing other students from
completing their work, removing information
from notice boards, removing pages from library
books, disrupting practical exercises etc.
• Cheating during examinations and in all other
academic exercisesBio 415: Mammalogy
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 Text Books
• Prescribed texts
• 1. Vaughan T.A. Mammalogy
• 2. De Blasé A.F. and Martin R.E. (2001). A
manual of Mammalogy, with keys to families
of the world.
• Recommended Text Books
• Ansell, W.F.H. and R.J. Dowsett (1988).
Mammals of Malawi
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• Class rep: Andrew Mvula 0997912067/0888018245
andrew.mvula@yahoo.com;
andrew08mvula@gmail.com; esc/25/12@cc.ac.mw

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