Catalog Number: 1200
Number of Credits: 3
"Nothing endures but change." We cannot understand the world we live in, nor any of a host of predicted future trends, without exploring the past. That's where paleontology comes in - the fossil record provides a wealth of insight into the evolution (and revolution) of life on earth. In this class we will explore both the methods and the limitations of using fossils to interpret past environments, ecologies, systematic relationships, and the events that have fundamentally reorganized the earth's biota. Short in-class labs will provide hands-on access to fossil specimens of plants and invertebrate and vertebrate animals. We'll also examine paleontology's role in society - its historical development, how and why it captures the public imagination, and its portrayal (and occasional abuse) in the news and popular media.Offered once a year. Lecture 3 hours.
Course prerequisites
MIN CUM GPS 3.25
- Faculty