Paleontology is the study of the history of life. This covers many subjects including the origin of life, evolution, mass extinctions, radiations, paleoecology, exceptional preservation, and functional morphology. Paleontology also contributes to the understanding of Earth Systems history in the study of biostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, taphonomy, isotopic analysis. As with many other areas of geology, paleontology sits at the interface between disciplines, in this case biology and geology.
Course content
Introduction: Geologic time scale, Nature of fossil record, Growth and form, Population and species, Systematics, Evolutionary morphology, Evolutionary rates and trends, Diversification, Extinction, Paleoecology, Paleobiogeography, Brief history of life on Earth
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