Description
This course was created in response to the public fascination with dinosaurs. It is aimed at the nonscience major. Concepts covered include the nature of fossils and the rock record, how geologic events are dated, plate tectonics, paleo-ecology, evolution, dinosaur hunters, and of course, the various groups of dinosaurs themselves. The class will also focus on three recent areas of controversy relating to dinosaurs: their "hot-bloodedness," the cause of their extinction, and the evolution of birds from dinosaurs. This course may be counted as either a biological or physical science credit.