GEOL 326 - Paleontology, Paleoecology and Paleoenvironments


Description
This is an interdisciplinary course in which students use paleontology and sedimentology to interpret ancient environments and the ecosystems they supported. Students begin with a brief review of aspects of geology required for paleontological studies: geologic time, plate tectonics, and sedimentary rocks and their depositional environments. There is also a review of evolutionary theory and ecological and paleoecological principles. Following this, the course is split into two sections. First, there is an overview of the major depositional environments, the typical fossil organisms that are found preserved in them, the processes of fossilization, and how the ecosystems of particular environments have changed through time. This is followed by a survey of the history of life, with case studies in which we examine several important fossiliferous units in both marine and terrestrial settings, and use paleontological (biological) and sedimentological (geological) data to reconstruct the paleoecology and ancient physical environment. Lab sessions include fossil identification and analysis and several field visits to sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

This is a lecture-lab course.

Target audience
 Prerequisite
ENGL 180 College English and : GEOL 105 Fundamentals of Geology or GEOL 101 Introduction to Geology or BIOL 221 General Ecology or ENSC 210 Theretical and Field Ecology.

Offered
Every Fall.

Draft syllabus, Fall 2010

Fossil discovery on class field trip (April 2005) -  Late Cretaceous Sea-Turtle

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This page last updated on March 30th, 2010.