300143 VO Fundamentals in zoological systematics (2006W)

The subject taught introduces into the principles and possibilities to systematise the diversity of animals (about 1.3 mill. species) and informs about uniform naming (nomenclature after ICZN), species definitions and types, origins of variability, patterns of similarity (phenetic/numerical, genetic), classification (hierarchy & taxonomy), the "natural" system (plesiomorphic & synapomorphic homologies), notions of interrelationships and problems in higher classification on behalf of selected examples.