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This course has three basic goals: (1) gain understanding of the world's past biodiversity; (2) outline the history of life on earth; and (3) obtain insight in ideas about evolution and ecology. The four-billion-year history--of life on earth--its origin, its expansion, its survival through massive extinctions--is preserved in the fossil record. We will first explore the present diversity of life on Earth, with emphasis on life in the oceans. Then we will examine how this diversity evolved over geological time and include topics such as the expansion of life from the seas onto land and mass extinctions. By examining the evolutionary history of species and ecological communities through time, we will learn about the processes that have governed the pattern of life's history. By combining this information with information on the earth's physical changes in climate, atmospheric chemistry, and continental positions, we can understand how life has been affected by physical changes and how life has impacted its environment. Such knowledge of life's history can provide us with an understanding of the depth of history for millions of years and an ethic that includes at its core a long-term stewardship for planetary wellness.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM E&ES Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-21-2005
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459