This course exposes students to an overview of vertebrate diversity and classification, major characteristics for general life styles, morphology, physiology, ecology, behavior and basic phylogeny. Topics include: chordate characteristics and classification; origin and evolution of vertebrates; vertebrate organ systems and their evolution; extant jawless fishes: hag fishes, lampreys; chondrichthyes, bony fishes; amphibians: salamanders, anurans, and caecilians; reptiles: turtles, tuatara, lizards, amphisbaeinians and snakes; birds; mammals: monotremes, marsupials, and placentals.