History of Life

Catalog description

A multidisciplinary introduction for majors and non-majors to the evolution of life on Earth, from its origin through the Pleistocene. The course will focus on the evolution and ecology of organisms in primitive environments, with special attention given to key taxa and events, such as the transition to land, the origin of angiosperms, the rise and fall of dinosaurs, and the origin and early evolution of reptiles, birds, and mammals. Emphasis will be placed on the reconstruction of ancient environments, using modern ecological and evolutionary principles as a guideline to the nature of early biological communities and ecosystems.