GEOLOGY 307

PALEOBIOLOGY OF DINOSAURS

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE – SPRING 2008
 

DATE                                   TOPICS                                       READING (in Fastovsky, et al text and                                                                                                 Ed Crisp internet lecture notes.)

Jan. 14  Intro. to Dinosaurs, Fossils, Paleontology.                   Chapters 1, Lecture 1 notes.

Jan. 21  No class.  Martin Luther King Holiday

Jan. 28  The Mesozoic Era, Stratigraphy, Relative and Absolute Dating , Chronostratigraphy, Lithostragraphy, and Biostratigraphy, Geologic Time,  Plate Tectonics, Climates of the Mesozoic, Sedimentary Environments  Chapters 2,  Lecture 2 and 3, and 4A notes.

Feb. 4  The Mesozoic Era, Stratigraphy, Relative and Absolute Dating , Chronostratigraphy, Lithostragraphy, and Biostratigraphy, Geologic Time,  Plate Tectonics, Climates of the Mesozoic, Sedimentary Environments (cont.).   Chapters 2,  Lecture 2 and 3, and 4A notes. Classification of Organisms, Cladistics, Organic Evolution.  Chapter 3,  Lecture 4B notes.

Feb. 11  Classification of Organisms, Cladistics, Organic Evolution (cont.).  Chapter 3,  Lecture 4B notes.

Feb. 18  MAJOR EXAM 1 - Chapters 1, 2,  and 3 - Lecture notes 1, 2, 3, 4A and 4B. After Exam: Evolution of Life Prior to the Dinosaurs, Precambrian Life, Cambrian Explosion of Life, Evolution of Chordates, Tetrapods, and Reptiles (includes material on vertebrate anatomy). Chapter 4, Lecture 5 notes.

Feb. 25  Evolution of Life Prior to Dinosaurs (cont.)-possible video related to this. The Origin of Dinosauria. Chapter 5,  Lecture 6 notes.

Mar. 3   Intro to Ornithischid Dinosaurs.    p.p. 101-106, Lecture 7 notes.  The Shield Bearers – The Stegosaurs. Chapter 6 , Lecture 7 notes. The Ankylosaurs (Mesozoic Tanks). Chapter 7, Lecture 7 notes.

Mar. 10    The Marginocephalians – The Bone Heads (Pachycephalosauria). Chapter 8, Lecture 8 notes. and the Horned and Frilled Dinosaurs  (Ceratopsia).  Chapter 9, Lecture 9 notes.

Mar. 17  Major Exam 2, Chapter 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9,  Lecture notes 5, 6,7, 8, and 9. The Ornithopod Dinosaurs.  Chapter 10, Lecture 10 notes.

Mar. 24 -28  SPRING BREAK

Mar. 31  Intro to Saurischid Dinosaurs.   p.p. 220-226, Lecture 11 notes. The Giants of the Mesozoic, The Prosauropods and Sauropods. Chapter 11, Lecture 11 notes.  The Flesh Eaters – Theropoda.  Chapter 12, Lecture 9 notes and Lecture 12 notes.

Apr. 7  The Origin of Birds. Chapter 13,  Lecture 13 notes.

Apr. 14  Major Exam 3.  Chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13,  Lecture notes 10, 11, 12, and 13. Dinosaur Metabolism (Hot vs. Cold Blooded).  Chapter 15.

Apr. 21  Extinctions in the Geologic Record. Chapter 17.  Dinosaur Extinction. Chapter 18, Lecture 14 notes.

Apr. 28  Dinosaur Extinction (cont.). Chapter 18, Lecture 14 notes. Oral Presentations of Term Papers (take notes on these; some final exam questions will come from these presentations).

May 05   4:00-6:00 p.m.   Final Exam  Chapter 15, 17, and 18, Lecture notes 14;  and material from Oral Presentations; and comprehensive portion.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Occasionally there may be other reading assignments from  the literature.  Also take good notes in class, some material may get introduced in class that is not in the website notes or reading material.