http://www.umpi.maine.edu/~mccartnk/palec07.htm
Things are as they are because they were as they were.
- T. Gold
Race after race resigned their fleeting breath
The rocks alone their curious annals save.
- T. A. Conrad
Syllabis: Ecy 324 (Paleoecology): Spring, 2007:
Lecture: TTh 9:25-10:40, Rock Lab.
Instructor: Kevin McCartney (office: 302 Folsum, hours: most MWF 1:00-3:00 and many other times)
No Text:Course will consist of reading scientific papers and presenting them to class. The following books and others will be useful background.
Grading
| 2 tests at 40 pnts each | = 80 pnts |
| 7 presentations at 20 pnts each | = 140 pnts |
Presentation will be evaluated by the instructor and by the students
| 10 pnts | By Instructor |
| 10 pnts | Average of student evaluations |
Failure to attend class without good reason will result in loss of 5 pnts. Final grades will be curved, with high score(s) recieving A grade.
| # | date | title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1/17 | Introduction to course |
| 2 | 1/19 | What is paleoecology? assignment of first papers |
| 3 | 1/22 | Basic ecologic concepts and terminology |
| 4 | 1/24 | Reading a scientific paper |
| 5 | 1/26 | Fundamentals of biologic taxonomy |
| 6 | 1/29 | Overview of important fossil groups |
| 7 | 1/31 | Speaking before an audience; Making a useful handout |
| 8 | 2/3 | Functional significance of spines in the Pennsylvanian horshoe crab Euproops danae. |
| 2/2-3 | Atlantic Geoscience Society meeting, Moncton, NB | |
| Overview of microrganism groups Second generation of papers assigned |
||
| 9 | 2/5 | Parish1: Behavioral assymmetry in trilobites |
| 2/5 | Davis1: Orientation of bivalve shells in quiet water | |
| 10 | 2/7 | Ouellette1: Punctuated Equilibria in evolution |
| 2/7 | discussion | |
| 11 | 2/9 | Bernosky1: sexual selection and sauropod necks |
| 2/9 | Doucette1: Swimming capabilities of Mesozoic marine reptiles | |
| 12 | 2/12 | Landry1: Taphonomy of modern shrimp |
| 13 | 2/14 | McCartney: Overview of marine protists |
| 14 | 2/16 | McCartney: Going to graduate school |
| 15 | 2/26 | Bernoski2: Overview of dinosaur coprolites |
| 2/26 | Davis2: Coprolites and ecology, ex. dung beetles | |
| 16 | 2/28 | Parish2: Predation scars on brachiopods |
| 2/28 | Ouellette2: Predatory asteroids and brachiopods | |
| 17 | 3/2 | Landry2: Burrowing sculptures on brachiopods shells |
| 3/2 | Doucette2: How do clams burrow? | |
| 18 | 3/5 | McCartney: Overview of marine protists |
| 19 | 3/7 | Bernoski3: dinoflagellate spine lengths |
| 3/7 | Davis3: Insects | |
| 20 | 3/9 | Doucette3: leaf marginations |
| 21 | 3/12-13 | Geological Society of America, Northeast section meeting, at UNH |
| 22 | 3/14 | Landry3: myriapods |
| 23 | 3/16 | Ouellette3: variation in silicoflagellate skeletons |
| 3/16 | Parish3: epibionts on scallops | |
| 24 | 3/19 | Doucette4: Flume study of crinoid feeding |
| 3/19 | Bernosky4: Feeding behavior of crinoids | |
| 25 | 3/21 | Landry4: Model of batocrinid anal tube |
| 3/21 | Parish4: Crinoid arms and banana plantations | |
| 26 | 3/23 | Davis4: Eurypterid telson as rudder |
| 3/23 | Oullette4: Roles for holes in sand dollars | |
| 27 | 3/26 | Landry5: Baumiller, Boreholes in Devonian blastoids |
| 3/26 | Bernosky5: Thomas, Predation on Glycymeris | |
| 28 | 3/28 | Doucette5: 2 papers, boring behavior of naticid gastropods. |
| 3/28 | Parish5: Lively, predator-induced shell dimorphism of barnacle | |
| 29 | 3/30 | Davis5: Seilacher, boring barnacles |
| 3/30 | Oullette5: Seilacher, Swimming habits of belemnites | |
| March 31 - April 8 - Spring V A C A T I O N | ||
| 30 | 4/9 | Parish5: Lively, predator-induced shell dimorphism of barnacle |
| 31 | 4/11 | University Day (no class) |
| 32 | 4/13 | Geological Society of Maine, Spring meeting, at UMF |
| 33 | 4/16 | Davis 6: shell sculpture of ammonoids |
| 4/16 | Bernosky 6: Ammonites as cartesian divers | |
| 34 | 4/18 | Parish 6: adaptive strategies of coral- reef invertebrates |
| 4/18 | Oullette 6: shapes of Paleozoic and modern reefs | |
| 35 | 4/20 | Landry 6: ribs in brachiopod shells (Rudwick) |
| 4/20 | Doucette 6: shapes of shells (Raup) | |
| 36 | 4/23 | Landry 7: concavo-convex brachiopods |
| 37 | 4/25 | Bernosky 7: What to learn from a pile of dino bones (2 papers) |
| 38 | 4/27 | Oullette 7: Radiolarian skeletons and change with time |
| 39 | 4/30 | Parish 7: Interpreting leaf litter |
| 40 | 5/2 | Davis 7: predator/prey arms race |
| 41 | 5/4 | Doucette 7: How did pteranodon fly? |