http://www.umpi.maine.edu/~mccartnk/palec09.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, 2009:
Lecture: MWF 11:00-12:15, 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.
Neat Paleontology Websites
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 | 1/21 | Introduction to course | ||
| 2 | 1/23 | What is paleoecology? assignment of first papers | ||
| 3 | 1/21 | Reading a scientific paper | ||
| 4 | 1/23 | Basic ecologic concepts and terminology | ||
| 5 | 1/26 | Fundamentals of biologic taxonomy | ||
| 6 | 1/28 | Overview of important fossil groups | ||
| 7 | 1/30 | Speaking before an audience; Making a useful handout |
||
| 8 | 2/2 | Functional significance of spines in the Pennsylvanian horshoe crab Euproops danae. | ||
| 2/4 | Overview of microrganism groups Second generation of papers assigned |
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| 9 | 2/9 | Baldwin1: trilobite behavioural asymmetry | ||
| 10 | 2/11 | Twitchell1: taphonomy turtle carcasses | ||
| 11 | 2/13 | Community service as a professional responsibility | ||
| February 16 - 23 V A C A T I O N | ||||
| 12 | 2/23 | snow, class cancelled | ||
| 13 | 2/25 | Clark1: larval dispersal and geographic distribution | ||
| 14 | 2/27 | Prokey1: Epibionts on Chlamys | ||
| 15 | 3/2 | MHitchock1: dinosaur cooperative pack hunting | ||
| Jones1: Supersonic sauropods? | ||||
| 16 | 3/4 | Ambrutis1: forest as reflected in leaf litter | ||
| AHitchcock1: taphonomy of shrimp | ||||
| 17 | 3/9 | Bretzke1: Lingula burrowing | ||
| 18 | 3/11 | Baldwin2: Boreholes in Devonian blastoids | ||
| Twtchell2: Pterogotid telson as rudder | ||||
| 20 | 3/13 | Ambrutis2: Spines and settling of dinoflagellates | ||
| 21 | 3/16 | Clark2: Coprolites | ||
| Jones2: Cope's Law in dinosaurs | ||||
| 22 | 3/18 | AHitchcock2: Ecology of Ichthyosaurs | ||
| Bretzke2: leaf marginations | ||||
| 23 | 3/20 | MHitchcock2: predator-induced dimorphism in barnacles | ||
| Prokey2: dinosaur forelimbs (2 papers) | ||||
| March 21 - 29 S P R I N G B R E A K | ||||
| Geological Society of America, Northeast section meeting, at UNH |
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| 18 | 3/30 | Baldwin3: optimatal morphologies for silicoflagellates | ||
| 19 | 4/1 | Clark3: Flume study of crinoids | ||
| Jones3: Math study of gastropod shell shapes | ||||
| 4/3 | Geological Society of Maine, Spring meeting, at Colby College | |||
| 22 | 4/6 | Twitchell3: Drilling predation of gastropod Turritella | ||
| Prokey3: Evolution of Natica predator-prey system | ||||
| 23 | 4/8 | University Day (no class) | ||
| 24 | 4/10 | Ambrutis3: Brachiopod zig-zag commissures | ||
| 25 | 4/13 | Mid term writing essay | ||
| 4/15 | Jones4: Crinoids | |||
| Twitchell4: Holes in sand dollars | ||||
| 27 | 4/17 | Baldwin4: Predatory asteroids | ||
| 28 | 4/20 | Prokey4: Limbs in whales | ||
| 29 | 4/22 | Clark4: Tyrannosaurus rex a scavenger? | ||
| 30 | 4/24 | Baldwin5: Why are some foraminifera large? | ||
| 31 | 4/27 | Jones4: Predation and survival among inadunate crinoids | ||
| 32 | 4/29 | Twitchell5: Arca shell shape | ||
| Bretszke4: Orientation of clam shells?? | ||||
| : | ||||
| 33 | 5/1 | Shannon3: Crinoids and banana plantations | ||
| 33 | Prokey5: Nautilus and water depth | |||
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| 34 | 5/4 | Clark5: Trilobite predators and prey | ||
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| 35 | 5/6 | Jones 5: Ammonites as Cartesian divers | ||
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| 36 | 5/8 | Ambrutis 4: zig zag commisures of brachiopods: Ammonites as cartesian divers? | ||
| Bretzske: ?? | ||||
| Kevin: final quesitons | ||||
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