Code: BIOL-461
Semester: H
Course Type: Elective
ECTS units: 6
Hours per week: Three 45-minute lectures

Instructor

Professor: Poulakakis Nikolaos
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Office phone number:  +30 2810 393619
Lab phone number:  +30 2810 393282

Description

Course contents: This course aims to provide you with the basic knowledge related to the genuine composition of the fauna of Greece, its extraordinary diversity and peculiarities, as well as the processes and mechanisms that shape and define it today and in the past. A large spectrum of Greek animal species, both Vertebrates and Invertebrates, in continental and insular Greek regions is treated for that reason. We also aim to develop the practical skills to carry out samplings on various animal taxa, to mount (or keep otherwise) animal samples and tissues and to construct and use databases of these specimens. In this course you will listen to topics on the contemporary geomorphology of the Greek landscapes, the causes from the past that led to this specific morphology, the climatic mainframe that interferes with the Greek landscapes, elements on paleogeography, paleoclimatology and paleoecology of Greece, hot spots of endemism and management of rare or threatened Greek animal species, as well as a “group per group” comprehensive analysis of the extant faunal elements of continental and insular Greece. Topics like: the exploitation of the Greek fauna, animals as indicators of environmental quality in Greece, the cultural value of the Greek fauna, etc., are also covered.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to know the distribution and composition of the main animal groups in Greece and to understand the mechanisms and processes that have shaped the Greek landscape and the faunal composition in the dominant ecosystems. Also, the student should develop a critical view of the observed distribution patterns, to understand the processes of morphological and ecological adaptations of the animals, the spatial and temporal dimensions of the Greek biodiversity, and finally to formulate valid scientific questions and assumes.

Topics covered

  • The geomorphological context of Greece today
  • The climate and ecological framework today
  • Paleogeography, paleoclima and paleoecology of Greece
  • The most important animal groups in Greece
  • Mollusks
  • Arthropods (Spiders, Crustaceans, Myriapods)
  • Arthropods (Insects - Part I)
  • Arthropods (Insects - Part B)
  • Other Invertebrates
  • Amphibia
  • Reptiles
  • Birds
  • Mammals
  • Animal species hot spots in Greece
  • Management of Endangered Species