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CVB (ANIMAL ANATOMY)

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

CVB consists of two sections: comparative veterinary biology and head/neck anatomy.

Head and neck anatomy is covered in Michaelmas and comparative biology in Lent.

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The head and neck anatomy section covers cranial development, teeth and feeding, nasal cavities and sinuses, larynx and hyoid, pharynx and the mouth, ears and eyes, antlers and horns. There are dissections of both canine and equine specimens too.

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The comparative biology section takes a systems-based approach and covers fish, amphibians, chelonians, reptiles and birds. The lectures cover the main body systems of each group and how this relates to their environments. There are various dissections on fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds, plus a live reptile handling session!

Image by Laura College

What resources should I use?

There is a range of resources available to help you:

SSMVS Drive

Practical course guide with answers

Lecture notes available on Moodle

Some videos available on Moodle

Image by Andrey Tikhonovskiy

How is it examined?

There are 3 sections involved:

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Sections I and II are combined into a steeplechase exam in the dissection room

They use various specimens and images

It is short-answer instead of MCQ

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Section III is an essay paper, which only counts towards the Tripos result

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** PLEASE NOTE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT AS OF JUNE 2023 BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE **

** SEE THE CVB MOODLE PAGE FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION **

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