In the last few decades there has been an ever-increasing component in
most BSc Zoology degree courses of cell biology, physiology and
genetics, for spectacular developments have taken place in these fields.
Some aspects of biotechnology are now also being included. In order to
accommodate the new material, the old zoology courses were altered and
the traditional two-year basis of systematics of the animal kingdom,
comparative anatomy (and physiology) and evolution, was either severely
trimmed or reduced and presented in an abridged form under another
title. Soon after these course alterations came the swing to modular
teaching in the form of a series of shorter, separate courses, some of
which were optional. The entire BSc degree course took on a different
appearance and several different basic themes became possible. One major
result was that in the great majority of cases taxonomy and systematics
were no longer taught and biology students graduated without this basic
training. We field biologists did appreciate the rising interest in
ecology and environ- mental studies, but at the same time lamented the
shortage of taxonomic skills, so that often field work was based on
incorrect identifications. For years many of us with taxonomic
inclinations have been bedevilled by the problem of teaching systematics
to undergraduates. At a guess, maybe only 5% of students find
systematics interesting. It is, however, the very basis of all studies
in biology - the correct identification of the organism concerned and
its relationships to others in the community.
