HistoryofLife

PALEONTOLOGY SERIES

Topics in the History of Life
Professor Jason Downs

This course is co-sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, located at 33rd and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia. The entrance for the course is at the east end of the building, next to the garage.

LECTURES WILL BE HELD FROM 10:30 AM TO NOON

Saturday, January 28, 2012 - Introduction

This lecture will discuss the value of paleontology as a science, how to build strong bases of inference, and the "principle of parsimony."
Saturday, February 4, 2012 - Fossilization, Sedimentology, and Stratigraphy

An introduction to the formation of fossils and to fossils as a source of data. An exploration of soft rock geology will demonstrate the importance of geological context.
Saturday, February 11, 2012 - Macroevolution and Extinction
An exploration of how fossils provide data for evolution at the largest scales and an introduction to extinction as a macroevolutionary process. The five major mass extinctions will be discussed.
Saturday, February 18, 2012 - Phylogenetic Reconstruction; Diversity and Taxonomy
An introduction to cladistic methodology. How do we reconstruct the relationships among all living things? How do we use names to describe this diversity?
Saturday, February 25, 2012 - Circumstances of the Origin of Life

A discussion of different theories about how life got its start on Earth.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 - Vertebrate Origins and Early Evolution of the Vertebrate Skeleton (the first 150 million years)

The vertebrate skeleton has a history older than vertebrates themselves. This lecture will look at how the complexity of the skeleton was built from simple, independent parts.
Saturday, March 10, 2012 - The Devonian Period and the Terrestrialization of Plants, Invertebrates, and Vertebrates

Modern terrestrial ecosystems had their start in the Devonian Period. This lecture will highlight ongoing research that helps illuminate this major time of transition in the history of life.
Saturday, March 17, 2012 - Dinosaur Evolution; Origin and Evolution of Flying Dinosaurs

Dinosauria is an old and incredibly diverse group (250 million years, 10,000 extant species). Highlights from dinosaur history will be discussed from their origins to flight.

Paleontology is a uniquely important science that goes beyond the theoretical questions of how life changes over time to the question of what actually happened during the history of life on our planet. This course will introduce the different types of questions that paleontologists ask and their various sources of data. A typical history of life course presents a step-by-step walkthrough of time or evolutionary history. This course will take a topical approach to the subject presenting not only 'what we know' but also 'how we know it.'