Race after race resigned their fleeting breath
The rocks alone their curious annals save.
- T. A. Conrad
Syllabus: Gey 322 (Paleontology), Fall, 2008:
Lecture: 9:00-9:50 MWF, Folsom 302
Lab: 3:50-5:40 Th; 302 Folsom (The "Rock Lab").
Text: Lecture Notes for Invertebrate Paleontology, by Kevin McCartney
Webpages list:
Lab: Various Paleontology materials available in lab
Instructor: Kevin McCartney (office: 302 Folsum, hours: 10:00-11:00)
Grading
| lecture | lab | grades | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test 1 | 125 pnts | 11 lab reports at 20 pnts each | A = 90% (720 pnts) | |
| Test 2 | 125 pnts | B = 80% (640 pnts) | ||
| Test 3 | 125 pnts | Lab Mid-term | 40 pnts | C = 70% (560 pnts) |
| Final (cumulative) | 125 pnts | Lab Final | 40 pnts | D = 60% (480 pnts) |
| Total 800 pnts | F < 60% (560 pnts) | |||
A steady improvement in test scores may be used in revising grade upwards. Otherwise, grades will not be curved. Attendance can be taken into account in the case of borderline grades.
If you have a disability and need an accomodation or assistance in this course, please make an appointment to talk with me. If you prefer, you may contact Myrna McGaffin in Student Support Services, South Hall.
| # | lab # | date | lecture/lab title | reading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/3 | Introduction, Paleontology as a Science | |||
| L1 | 9/4 | Taxonomy | |||
| 2 | 9/5 | Applied Paleontology: Why Study Paleontology? | (P1into) | ||
| 3 | 9/8 | Fossils and their uses | (P1intro) | ||
| 4 | 9/10 | Microorganisms and the foodchain | (P3ocean) | ||
| L2 | 9/11 | Micropaleontology | |||
| 5 | 9/12 | Microorganism groups | (P3ocean, P4ocean) | ||
| 6 | 9/15 | Microorganism groups | (P3ocean, P4ocean) | ||
| 7 | 9/17 | Time and Biostratigraphy | (P2time) | ||
| L3 | 9/19 | Micropaleontology 2 | |||
| 8 | 9/18 | Evolution and Ecology | (P2time) | ||
| 9 | 9/22 | Conodonts, other problematica | (P5conod) | ||
| 10 | 9/24 | Graptolites, other problematica | (P6grapt) | ||
| L4 | 9/25 | Conodonts and graptolites | |||
| 11 | 9/26 | Lagarstatten | |||
| 12 | 9/29 | Porifera (sponges) | (P7porif) | ||
| 13 | 10/1 (through sponge lecture) | Test 1 | |||
| L5 | 10/2 | Porifera (sponges) | |||
| 14 | 10/3 | Coelenterata (Cnidaria) |
(P9Coral2) | ||
| 15 | 10/6 | Coelenterata; coral reef ecology | (P9Coral2) | ||
| 16 | 10/8 | What is science? - K/T research as case history | |||
| L6 | 10/9 | Coelenterata; Lab Quiz (15 pnts). | |||
| 10/8 | 100th NEIGC field trip | ||||
| 10/13-17 | Holiday: (CANADIAN) THANKSGIVING, COLUMBUS DAY in U.S.A. | ||||
| 17 | 10/20 | Bryozoans (moss animals) | (P8bryoz) | ||
| 19 | 10/22 | Brachiopoda | (P10brach) | L7 | 10/23 | Bryozoa |
| 20 | 10/24 | Brachiopoda | (P11brchs) | ||
| 21 | 10/27 | Brachiopoda, Intro to Mollusca | |||
| 22 | 10/29 | Mollusca | (P12Moll1) | ||
| L8 | 10/30 | Brachiopoda, lab midterm (25 pnts) | |||
| 23 | 10/31 | Bivalves | (P13Moll2) | ||
| 23 | 11/3 | Bivalves | (P13Moll2) | ||
| 24 | 11/5 | Bivalves | (P13Moll2) | ||
| L9 | 11/6 | Mollusca 1 | |||
| 25 | 11/7 | Gastropods | |||
| 26 | 11/4 | Test 2 | |||
| 27 | 11/12 | Gastropods, Cephalopods; second quiz (brachs and bivalves, 15 pnts) | (P14moll3) | ||
| L10 | 11/13 | Mollusca 2 | |||
| 28 | 11/14 | Cephalopods, Arthropods? | (P15Arth1) | ||
| 29 | 11/17 | Non-trilobitomorph arthropods | (P15Arth2) | ||
| 30 | 11/19 | Trilobites | (P17Arth3) | ||
| L11 | 11/20 | Arthropods | |||
| 31 | 11/21 | Evolution of trilobites | (P17Arth4) | ||
| 32 | 11/24 | Continued | (P17Arth4) | ||
| No class 10/26-28; Thanksgiving Holiday | |||||
| 33 | 12/1 | Introduction to Echinoderms | (P18Ech1) | ||
| 34 | 12/3 | Pelmatozoan (stemmed) echinoderms | (P19Ech2) | ||
| L12 | 12/4 | Echinoderms | |||
| 35 | 12/5 | Echinozoan (nonstemmed) echinoderms | (P20Ech3) | ||
| 36 | 12/8 | Test 3 | |||
| 37 | 12/10 | Review of test, Intro to vertebrates | |||
| L13 | 12/11 | Lab final | |||
| 38 | 12/12 | Vertebrates | |||
| 39 | 12/15 | Vertebrates, extinctions? | p21vert1 | ||
Final Exam: