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FSem 133 THE SIXTH EXTINCTION |
| Textbook abbreviations: |
E=Eldredge's The Miner's Canary: Unraveling the Mysteries of Extinction.; W=Wilson's CD-ROMconserving Earth's Biodiversity.; M=McNeely's conserving the World's Biological Diversity |
| I. INTRODUCTION | Reading |
| F |
Course introduction, advising & Colgate's Honor Code
What is biodiversity and why does it matter? |
E:xv-xviii, 1-7; M:9-12; W:Intro; Time & Nat'l History articles + video on endangered species + essay |
| T | Ad hoc advising in class @ 1:30 pm (Lathrop 403) | help available 2 pm - (Lath 306) |
| Th | The nature of Science, the science of Nature | E:xii-xiii; M:12-15 |
| T | Experiment 1: Fossilization; intro to research methods | |
| Th |
Experiment 2 (FT): Geer Road quarry & Devonian (v. modern) biodiversity (lunch provided) Class begins at 12:30 Do "Described species & total species on Earth" activities (CD-ROM) |
E:21-48; M:17-19, 113; W:Global Biodiversity & Diversity of Life |
| T | Experiment 3: Geologic Time | |
| Th |
Experiment 4 (FT): Burial taphonomy (lunch provided) Class begins at 11:30 |
W:Diversity of Life (Tree of Life) |
| T | How do species evolve and become extinct? |
E:7-20
|
| II. ASSESSING THE PAST |
| T | Biodiversity patterns in the history of life | E:49-77, 131-69; M:39; W:Biodiversity over Time |
| Th | Ordovician mass extinction | E:79-85 |
| T | Devonian mass extinction | E: 85-88 |
| Th | Permian mass extinction | E:88-98 |
| T | FALL BREAK |
|
| Th | Cretaceous mass extinction | E:99-124 |
| 12 | Pleistocene mass extinction |
E:124-29, 171-207 |
| III. EVALUATING THE PRESENT BIODIVERSITY CRISIS |
| Th | Bring back the elephant? | debate w/ invited lecturer |
| F | Science Colloquium on conservation issues | 3-4 pm |
| T | How bad is it & what are its causes? | E:131-69; 209-29; M:19-22, 37-52; W:Global Biodiversity & Threats to Biodiversity |
| Th | What's wildlife worth? Creation of campus survey to assess the values of biodiversity | M:25-35 |
| F | Science Colloquium on past, present & future biodiversity | 3-4 pm |
| T | What's wildlife worth? Discussion of campus survey & wildlife images | wildlife images due |
| Th |
Conservation efforts I: Global biodiversity assessment (dead zones v. hot spots, alien v. endangered species, & green lists") |
M55-69, 71-106; W:Conservation Practices |
| F | ENST panel discussion on biodiversity & ethics | 12-1 pm |
| S | Field Trip to Ithaca's Museum of the Earth & gorge-ous hike |
9 am - 6:30 pm |
| T |
Exhumation of Experiment 2 (FT) (lunch provided) |
Class begins at 12:00 |
| Th | Conservation efforts II: Ecotourism, zoological parks, & DNA research |
W:Conservation Practices
|
| T | TAKE HOME MIDTERM |
no class |
| Th | TAKE HOME MIDTERM |
no class; exam due by 5 pm |
| T | Conservation efforts III: Human population dynamics & global warming |
W:Social Issues |
| Th |
Detailed outline of final research presentation/paper due; preparation for oral presentations I |
|
| T | no class |
make-up for sci colloq |
| Th | THANKSGIVING |
no class
|
| IV. PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH ON THE SIXTH EXTINCTION |
| T |
Discussion of outline of final research presentation/paper; preparation for oral presentations II |
|
| Th | Oral presentations of final research papers I | |
| T | Oral presentations of final research papers II | |
| Th | Oral presentations of final research papers III | |
| T | Final research papers due | due by noon |
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Back to FSem 133 Syllabus |
jeholodens picture from: http://www.clpgh.org/cmnh/news/99-jan-mar/990322jeholodens_images.html
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http://classes.colgate.edu/csoja/fsem133/ Questions to: csoja@colgate.edu Copyright 1997 © Colgate University. Updated 3/11 |
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