GEOL 4040: The Fossil Record
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Laboratory 2, Lecture 2.
The fossil record is the ever-growing accumulation of scientific evidence used to understand the history of life and the co-evolution of ecosystems, environments, and climates. In this course, we will examine characteristics of the fossil record with a focus on broad-scale geological, biological, and environmental processes over the span of Earth history. Students will employ qualitative and quantitative techniques to interpret the fossil record and answer societally-relevant Earth system questions, overall increasing their scientific literacy with a deep time perspective.