Paleontology and the Diversity of Life

In this course we will survey the biodiversity of life on Earth and the characteristics of important groups organisms, largely from the viewpoint of the fossil record. We will explore the evolution life through deep time, i.e. all 4.6 billion years of the planet’s existence, with an emphasis on the rise of complex life in the last 540 million years. Students will be introduced to the tree of life and major groups in the ocean and on land, and the influences of ecology, biogeography, mass extinction and other factors on the evolution of modern forms. We will also discuss the use of fossils to solve diverse questions in multiple fields, including ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental science, and geology, and the application of cutting-edge methods to the fossil record. Following the first session, this course will consist of discussions sessions based on readings and questions submitted on Teams, followed by a lecture introducing new concepts and methods. Take-home exams will consist of short essay prompts about either the evolutionary history of specific groups (Exam 1) or major events or time intervals (Exam 2), and will require use of the paleontological or biodiversity literature.