Geology 115

Geology 115
EVOLUTION: DINOSAURS TO DARWIN

Lectures, Exams, and Reading Assignments
(Generic List)

Textbook abbreviations:

B=Bakker's The Dinosaur Heresies;
C=Cowen's History of Life;
LT=Lutgens &Tarbuck's Essentials of Geology
(on reserve in Science Library)
Indicates Additional Optional Readings also are available:
These can be found on reserve in Science Library & electronically
through Blackboard in two Special Issues of Natural History magazine:
"Terrible Lizzards: A new Family Portrait," v. 114 (4), May 2005
and "Dinosaur Science," v. 104 (6), June 1995.

I. THE GEOLOGIC CALENDAR

TEXT Chapter :pages

Week 1	M	Course introduction
	T	The record in the rocks	C xi-xv; C 1:1-2; C 2:21-24
	H	Telling geologic time	LT 15:279-289, 293-296; C 2:24-26
Week 2	T	Fossilization & preservation bias	LT 15:289-293; B 2:29-47; B 5:105-124

II. DINOSAURS

Week 2	H	Evolutionary concepts & dino origins	B 3:48-74; B 15:325-346; B 1:15-28; B 4:75-84; B 20:406-424; C 10:153-154; 160-163; C 11:171-183;
Week 3	T	Bones & teeth: dinosaur classification	C 3:45-50; C 12:185-194; B 22:445-462 Eyewitness/Skeleton video
Week 3	H	Coevolution of meat-/plant-eating dinos	B 12:255-272; B 11:226-254
Week 4	T	Herbivorous dinos & plant evolution I	C 12:195-197; B 6-8:125-178
Week 4	H	Herbivorous dinos & plant evolution II	C 17:271-281; B 9:179-198;
Week 5	T	Field Trip to "Jurassic Park"	Article 2; (Report due in class 2/28);
Week 5	H	Social & reproductive behaviors of dinos	C 12:197-202; B 4:84-101; Articles 1-2
Week 6	T	Debate over warm-blooded dinosaurs	C 13:203-214; B 10:201-225; B 16-18:347-392;

III. OTHER MESOZOIC MARVELS

Week 6	H	Pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, crocodiles, etc.	C 14:215-228; C 16:261-270; B 13:273-297
Week 7	T	Feathered dinos & evolution of birds	C 14:228-240; B 14:298-322; Article 3-4;
Week 7	H	MIDTERM
Week 8	T, H	SPRING BREAK
Week 9	T	Cloning Study I: Should Dinosaurs Be Cloned From Fossil DNA?
Week 9	H	Cloning Study II: Science Cinema on How to Clone a Dinosaur
Week 10	T	Origin & anatomy of mammals	C 15:241-259
Week 10	H	Cretaceous extinctions I	C 18:283-298
Week 11	T	Cloning Study III: In-Class Trial	*includes free period (until 12:30pm)*
	H	Cretaceous extinctions II	B 2:425-444 "dino day"
	Sat.	Field Trip to AMNH in NYC	Required

IV. MAMMALS INHERIT THE EARTH

Week 12	T	Plate tectonics & Cenozoic mammals	C 19:299-311
Week 12	H	Evolution & ecology of ungulates	C 19:312-318
Week 13	T	Specialization of cats & dogs	Article 5
Week 13	H	Southern hemisphere marsupials	C 20:319-330

V. HUMAN EVOLUTION

Week 14	T	Modern humans, apes, & monkeys	C 21:337-349; Article 6
Week 14	H	Walking tall: origins of hominid bipedalism	C 22:351-372; Articles 7-8
Week 15	T	Ice age humans	C 23:373-384 Article 9
Week 15	H	Pleistocene Overkill & review	C 24:385-403 Articles 10-11
**	T	FINAL EXAM	comprehensive

Additional materials on reserve in the science library
& available electronically through Blackboard

PLEASE do not make any pencil or pen marks, underlinings, or highlighting in any of the articles or books on reserve. Students will be charged for any damage done to reserve readings.

Textbook:
Lutgens, F.K. and Tarbuck, E.J. 1986. Essentials of Geology. Merrill
(Columbus, OH).
Video:
Eyewitness video on "Skeleton" -- gives helpful background information
on the anatomy and function of bones, teeth and shells.
Article 1:
Horner, J.R. and Weishampel, D.B. 1989. Dinosaur eggs: the inside
story. Natural History, 12/89:60-67.
Article 2:
Lockley, M.G. 1984. Dinosaur tracking. Science Teacher, 51:18-24.
Article 3:
Padian, K. and Chiappe, L.M. 1998. The origin of birds and their flight.
Scientific American, 278:28-37.
Article 4;
Norell, M. 2001. The proof is in the plumage. Natural History, 7-8/01:58-63.
Optional ;
Prum, R.O. and Brush, A.H. 2003. Which came first, the feather or the bird?
Scientific American, 288:84-93.
Article 5;
Cavallo, J.A. 1990. Cat in the human cradle Natural History, 2/90:52-61.
Article 6:
Ghiglieri, M.P. 1985. The social ecology of chimpanzees.
Scientific American, 252:102-113.
Article 7:
Blumenschine, R.J., and Cavallo, J.A. 1992. Scavenging and human
evolution. Scientific American, 267:90-96.
Article 8:
Tattersall, I. 2000. Once we were not alone. Scientific American, 282:56-62.
Article 9:
Wong, K. 2000. Who were the Neanderthals? Scientific American, 282:99-107.
Article 10:
Barlow, C. 2001. Ghost stories from the Ice Age. Natural History, 110:62-67.
Article 11:
Levin, P.S. and Levin, D.A. 2002. The real biodiversity crisis.
American Scientist, 90:6-8.
Optional readings are available in two Special Issues of Natural History magazine:
"Terrible Lizzards: A new Family Portrait," v. 114 (4), May 2005
and "Dinosaur Science," v. 104 (6), June 1995.

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