Introduction to the diversity, natural history, and evolution of chordates, emphasizing the living vertebrates. Three hours of lecture or discussion and one three-hour laboratory per week. This course routinely offers an opportunity to satisfy the Stony Brook Curriculum WRTD and Upper Division Writing Requirements for the Biology and Biochemistry majors. Students who intend to use the writing assignment in this course to satisfy these requirements must register for BIO 459 when they register for BIO 344. This course has an associated fee. Please see www.stonybrook.edu/coursefees for more information.