History of Life (U02516)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 8 ? Acronym : GEO-1-U02516

1. Standing diversity on the planet is the product of over 3 billion years of evolution.
2. An appreciation of that narrative of evolutionary change gives depth and definition to any understanding of current diversity.
3. The fossil record and genetic studies offer complimentary approaches to this discipline.

This course will describe the history of life as it has evolved through time. Major topics will include the origin of life and of complicated life. The Cambrian explosion and the origin of modern phyla, innovation in the marine realm; trilobites, ammonites, sea lilies, the movement of life onto land, the origin of major plant groups, the Mesozoic world, dinosaurs, marine reptiles and pterosaurs. Mass extinctions. Mammals and humans.

Entry Requirements

? Co-requisites : None

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Earth Science, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Other subject areas

Environmental Courses, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 1st year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) 30 minutes per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
09/01/2008	10:00	11:00	Lecture Theatre A, David Hume Tower	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Wednesday	10:00	10:50	Central
Lecture	Friday	10:00	10:50	Central

1 of the following 4 classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Laboratory	Mo	09:00	12:00	KB
Laboratory	Tu	09:00	12:00	KB
Laboratory	Th	09:00	12:00	KB
Laboratory	Fr	14:00	17:00	KB

? Additional Class Information : Laboratory classes will share a time slot with 'Time, Sediments and People', and will alternately use contact and distance learning methods. Contact hours for this course are an average taken through the semester.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

1. An appreciation of the modern diversity of organisms as the product of Darwinian evolution over 3.5 billion years.
2. An understanding of the underlying evolutionary and ecological controls on diversity change.
3. To be able to describe and discuss the main events in the history of life, such as the evolution of biominerals or the extinction of dinosaurs.
4. An understanding of the timescale over which large and small scale changes to standing diversity occur on Earth.