Honors Geological Sciences 110

History of Life on Earth: Global Change in the Biosphere

Spring Quarter

Typical Syllabus

Instructor:

Office Hours:

Mark A. Kleffner, 310D Science, (419) 995-8208

9:30-10:00 A.M., 5:00-5:30 P.M., Tues. & Thurs.
AND ANYTIME I am in my office

Lecture/
Lab Room/Hour:

Required Textbook:

Science 115, 10:10 A.M.-12:10 P.M. Tues. & Thurs.
 

Ausich, W. I. & Lane, N. G. 1999. Life of the Past, 4th ed.  Prentice Hall
There is no required lab book; handouts will be provided for all lab exercises.
 

Required Supplementary Readings (Most/All are in books that are on reserve in Cook Hall Library and ALL are also found in Science 111):

A: Berra, T. M. 1990. Evolution and the Myth of Creationism. Stanford University Press, Stanford.

B: Stanley, S. M. 1987. Extinction. Scientific American Books, Inc., New York.

C: Schopf, J. W. 1992. Major Events in the History of Life. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston.

Alvarez, W. 1997. T. rex and the Crater of Doom. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 185 p

Week

Lecture/Lab Topics

Readings

One

Geologic Time

Fossils and Fossilization

LAB: Geologic Time/Fossils and Fossilization Plate Tectonics. Organization of Life

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Chapter 6

Chapter 2

Two

Mass Extinction, Evolution

Evolution

Ch. 2,5,A,B

Ch. 5, A

Three

Evolution, Origin of Life

Origin of Life, Prokaryotes of Archean and Early Proterozoic

Ch. 4, 5, A

Ch. 8, C 

Four

FIRST MIDTERM

AFTER MIDTERM THERE WILL BE A LECTURE ON:

Eukaryotes of Precambrian

First Great Mass Extinction
Marine Communities, Cambrian Life and Death

Ch. 8,9,B,C

 Ch. 9,B,C

Five

Paleozoic Fauna: Primary Producers and Consumers LAB: Cambrian and Paleozoic Fauna

Paleozoic Fauna and Tiering
Paleozoic Fauna: Secondary and Tertiary Consumers

Ch.10/11/12

 
Ch. 12

**** Sat

ONE-DAY FIELD TRIP TO HUESTON WOODS TO COLLECT ORDOVICIAN FOSSILS FOR FOSSIL COLLECTION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF ORDOVICIAN MARINE COMMUNITY

Six

Mass Extinction in Paleozoic Oceans

LAB: Paleozoic Fauna/Secondary and Tertiary Consumers, Work on Fossil Collections

SECOND MIDTERM

AFTER THE MIDTERM: Paleozoic Terrestrial (P) Ecosystems (E) 

B

Seven

Paleozoic T E, continued; Modern Fauna

Ch.13/14/15  Ch.10/11/12

*****

COMPUTER LAB: NET field trip to see dinosaur exhibitions; brief report on 10 different dinosaurs.  Must have at LEAST one example of each of the major groups: theropod, sauropod, armored ornithischian, bird-footed ornithischian, horned/thick-headed ornithischian. List name, group, where and when lived, life style when living, and web site information came from.  Due in class by end of week 10 at latest

Eight

Modern Fauna, continued; Mesozoic TE
LAB: Modern Fauna

Mesozoic TE continued, Dinosaurs

Ch.10/11/12
Ch.14/15/16

Ch.14/15/16

Nine

THIRD MIDTERM

THERE WILL BE A LECTURE AFTER THE MIDTERM ON:

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs

LAB: Tracking dinosaurs

Ch. 15

Ch. 15

*****

ONE-DAY FIELD TRIP TO CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TO SEE DINOSAURS AND FOSSILS

*****

REMINDER: You should have already read T. rex and the Crater of Doom by now or finish reading it before Week Ten

Ten

T-rex and the Crater of Doom: Book presentation

LAB: Dinosaur Mass

Warm or Cold-Blooded Dinosaurs

Extinction of Dinosaurs

FOSSIL COLLECTIONS AND REPORT DUE BY NO LATER THAN THE END OF THE DAY (5:00 P. M.) on last day of week.  Late collections and reports will be penalized 10% the first school day late and 20% each for any additional school day(s) late. 

Final Exam Week; date and time of exam will be announced when it is scheduled by OSU administration

Grading Scale:

Midterms, best two of three scores, each at 21% of grade

Laboratory Exercises (inc. NET field trip)

Book Presentation (inc. summary of chapter)

Final Examination        

Fossil Collection/Marine Community Reconstruction (10.5%/10.5%)
 

42%

10%

6%

21%

21%