 TEXT: Colbert, Morales, and Minkoff. 2001. Colbert's Evolution of the Vertebrates, 5th ed. New York: Wiley |
VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY | CLASS NOTICES: Final Grades! Class expectations Grading and Exams How To Study Field Trip info. Scientific Lit. assign't |
Prof. Eli C. Minkoff, Ph.D.
eminkoff
bates.edu Class HOME PAGE: Http://abacus.bates.edu/acad/depts/biobook/Paleo17.htm
(Many details still tentative and subject to change.)
| DATES: | T O P I C S and READING ASSIGNMENTS: | LABS & FIELD TRIPS: |
| Sep. 6-8 | 1. The fossil record: stratigraphy, correlation
by fossils, geologic time; taphonomy; lower chordates; cladistics (Chapter 1) 1.Intro | Fossils & fossilization |
| Sep. 11-15 | 2. Vertebrate origins; class Agnatha (Chapter 2) 2.Agnatha 3. Classes Acanthodii & Placodermi (Chapter 3) 3.Jaws 4. Sharklike fishes; fish classification; Paleozoic faunas (Chs. 4, 7) 4.Sharks | Chordates, incl. fishes, amphibia |
| Sep. 18-22 | 5. Bony fishes (Class Osteichthyes) (Chapter 5) 5.BonyFish 6. Sarcopterygii. Amphibian origins and evolution. (Ch. 6, 8) 6.Sarcopt | Reptile and bird diversity |
| Sep. 25-29 | FIRST EXAMINATION, probably Monday 7. Early reptiles, skulls, diversity, turtles (Ch. 10, 9) 7.Reptiles | Film series A. |
| Oct. 2-6 | 8. Lepidosaurs and aquatic reptiles (Chapters 11, 12) 8.Lepidosaurs
9. Begin Archosaurs: crocodiles, pterosaurs (Chapters 13, 15) 9.Archosauria | F.T.#1: Connecticut (Dino. State Park + Yale) |
| Oct. 11-13 | 9. Archosaurs (continued): dinosaurs incl. metabolism (Chapter 14) | Film series B. |
| Oct. 16-20 | 10. Mesozoic faunas & extinctions; Birds (Chapters 16, 17) 10.Birds 11. Synapsids; Mesozoic mammals: origins, teeth (Chapters 18-19) 11.Synapsids | Film series C. |
| Oct. 23-27 | 12. Marsupials and zoogeography (Chapter 20) 12.Marsupials
SECOND EXAMINATION, probably Wednesday | Dinosaur film: Jurassic Park |
| Oct.30–Nov.3 | 13. Early placentals, including Insectivora, Edentata, etc.
(Chapters 21, 22) 13.Placentals
14. Primates and their relatives (Chapter 23) 14.Primates | F.T.#2: MCZ (date tentative) |
| Nov. 6-8 | 15. More primates. Rodents & rabbits (Chapter 24) 15.Rodents
16. Creodonts and Carnivora (Chapter 25) 16.Carnivora Scientific literature assignment (see below) DUE Nov. 8 | (no Fri. classes) |
| Nov. 13-17 | 17. Early ungulates and ungulate diversity; zoogeography (Chapters 27, 29) 17.Ungulates
18. Artiodactyls (Chapter 28) 18.Artiodactyls | Primates and human evolution |
| Nov. 20 | 18 (continued). Cetaceans (Chapter 26) | |
| Nov. 13-27 | HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING BREAK ! | |
| Nov.27–Dec.1 | 19. Perissodactyls (Chapter 30) 19.Perissodactyls | Mammalian diversity |
| Dec. 4-8 | 20. Paenungulata; more zoogeography (Chapters 31, 32) 20.Paenungulata | All-day F.T.: A.M.N.H. |
A written assignment based on a paper from the scientific literature will be due shortly after the second exam. CLICK HERE for details.