Lives of Carnivores (C7145)

15 credits, Level 4

Autumn teaching

Many of the most charismatic and ecologically important animals have a carnivorous lifestyle. Carnivores are represented in most animal groups, with extant species ranging from white sharks and killer whales to African hunting dogs and lions, and extinct species including famous examples, such as T. rex. In this module you will discover the science behind our understanding of the biology of these exciting animals and learn about their relevance to the different areas of zoology, from physiology and behaviour to conservation and evolution.

The module will introduce you to the different aspects of zoology using charismatic carnivores as case studies, illustrate the way similar ecological problems are overcome in different species, and develop your understanding of the scientific method, including the challenges that face scientific research with carnivores and the techniques used to overcome them.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to COVID-19, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.