0423 Earth & Planetary Sciences 102-6 - Spring Quarter 2006

Freshman Seminar:  ``Death of the Dinosaurs''

MW 3-4:20 PM;  Locy Hall #109

Instructor:   Donna M. Jurdy

Locy Hall #206; office: 491-7163;  fax: 491-8060

Office Hours:  MWF 1-2 PM

Homepage: http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/people/donna

 

Textbooks:

  • Harbrace College Handbook, 16th edition, 2007
  • Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History, D.E. Fastovsky & Brown, 2007 D.B. Weishampel, Cambridge, (paper), 2009

This book and a large number of other sources on extinctions and
dinosaurs  (see  back)  are  on  reserve (24 hr/overnight) in the
Reserve Reading Room, Main Library.

Topics:

  • Geological time and dating
  • Dinosaur Hunters
  • Fossilization and the geological record
  • History of life on earth and theories for its evolution
  • Dinosaurs, classification, and renaissance
  • Extinctions and periodicities
  • Plate tectonics, continental drift, and polar wander
  • Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, iridium layer, and associations
  • Theories for extinctions: Cosmic occurrences (Planet X, and Nemesis, the ``Death Star'')
  • Terrestrial causes (volcanism, glacial ages, and others)
  • First contact

Papers:

Participants will write 4 papers and give several presentations in class.  The first paper will be autobiographical.
The topic of the second (about 3-4 pages) and the third (4-5 pages)
will be assigned.  The final paper (7-8 pages) will be on a topic
chosen by the student, and presented as a 15-minute talk in class.

The Final Paper is due Monday, 10AM, December 7th, the beginning of Exam Week.
The development of research skills and use of the Northwestern Library
will be stressed.  Also, documentation and academic integrity will
be emphasized.
 
 

Grading:

A weight of 25% second paper + 25% third paper + 50% final paper (half presentation and half paper) will determine final grades.

Paper grades are based on content and style weighted equally.

References on Dinosaurs and Extinctions

 


Alvarez, W.

T-Rex and the Crater of Doom

 


Archibald, J. D.

Dinosaur Extincrion and the End of an Era

 


Bakker, R. T.

The Dinosaur Heresies

 


Brochu, C. et al.

 


Cadbury, D.

Terrible Lizard: The First Dinosaur Hunters, and the Birth of a New Science

 


Cadbury, D.

Terrible Lizard: the First Dinosaur Hunters...

 


Colbert, E. H.

Dinosaurs, An Illustrated History

 

 


Curie, P. J. & Padin, K.

Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs *

 


Czerkas, S. & Czerkas, S.

Dinosaurs: A Global View

 


Czerkas, S. & Olson, E.

Dinosaurs, Past and Present, vol. 1 & 2

 


Dodson, P.

The Horned Dinosaurs

 


Eldredge, N.

Fossils

 


Fastovsky, D. E. & D. B. Weishampel

The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs

 


Fiffer, S.

Tyrannosaurus Sue

 


Gallenkamp, D.

Dragon Hunter: Roy Chapman Andrews ....

 


Gee, H. & Rey, L. V.

Field Guide to Dinosaurs

 


Gould, S. J.

The Book of Life

 


Horner, J. R, & D. Lessem

The Complete T-Rex

 

 


Norell, M. et al.

Discovering dinosaurs

 

 

 



Parsons, K.M.

Drawing out Leviathan: Dinosaurs and the science wars



Psihoyoy, L.

Hunting Dinosaurs

 


Reader, J.

The Rise of Life

 


Schopf, J.

Major Events in the History of Life

 


Weishampel, et al.

The Dinosauria

 

* Reserve Collection, Main Library