This module will equip students with a foundational understanding of species diversification, phylogenetic relationships, and the biological classification of organisms. Students will explore key diagnostic characteristics of organisms ranging from prokaryotes (archaea and eubacteria) to eukaryotes (e.g. protozoa, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates), and learn about their similarities and differences.
Students will also learn the rules of binomial nomenclature in taxonomy. At the end of the course, students will gain competency in distinguishing different taxonomic groupings. For instance, students will be able to differentiate between archaea and eubacteria prokaryotes, identify clades of protozoans based on morphological traits and distinguish clades of metazoans based on characteristic differences in symmetry, tissue organisation, coelomic, and embryonic development.