GEOS 441 - Paleontology and Paleoecology

(4 S.H.)

An introduction to paleontology and paleoecology. This course will examine the methods by which paleontologists use fossils to reconstruct the history of life on Earth, reliable date rocks, and study changes in ecology and climate. It combines traditional paleontology (taxonomy and anatomy of the major phyla of fossil organisms) with process-oriented paleontology (tempo and mode of evolution, functional morphology, paleoecology, paleopathology, etc.) In addition to examining and describing fossil organisms, students will learn to reconstruct how ancient organisms lived and interacted with their environment through lectures, discussions, and field and laboratory work. Prerequisites:

GEOS 235 - Earth and Life Through Time

or instructor’s permission. Grade only. Field trips required. Offered alternate years.

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