Paleobotany

Catalog description

Classification, morphology, phylogeny, and stratigraphic occurrence of fossil plants; practicum includes field trips and study of paleobotanical techniques and specimens. GEOSC 420 BIOL (GEOSC) 420 Paleobotany (3) Land plants provide the oxygen, food, and forest structure that make our lives on land possible. They are sensitive indicators of global change in the past as well as today. This course will examine the history of green plants on the dynamic Earth from their beginnings in the Proterozoic oceans to today, with emphasis on central topics such as the colonization of land, the histories and relationships of major plant groups, the evolution of seeds and flowers, the evolution of plant-animal interactions, extinction and diversification, paleoclimates, and the origins of modern biomes such as rainforests and grasslands.This course is strongly recommended to graduate students and advanced undergraduates with interests in paleobiology and/or plant biology. Specimen observation and field trips will be important course components. Exams, assignments, and class participation will be the primary bases of evaluation.