GEO 102 - Extinctions of the Past, Present, and Future (W) (1)

In this first-year writing seminar, we will explore the causes, consequences, and frequency of extinctions. This course will highlight Earth’s lost species: dinosaurs, dodo birds, sabretooth tigers, and countless other lifeforms that disappeared at some point in the past. Along the way, we will investigate the fundamental evolutionary processes that create biodiversity-speciation and extinction-and consider the scientific basis for our understanding of ‘mass extinctions’ (short intervals of time in the past when the majority of species on Earth, like dinosaurs, disappeared as a result of environmental changes). In the process, students will consider how fossils, anecdotal evidence, and popular culture affect our perception of extinction, and evaluate the prospect that life on Earth is current undergoing another ‘mass extinction,’ one caused by humans and climate change. Overall, the course involves critical reading of scientific studies, editorials, and books written for general audiences as well as use of contemporary films and television programs. Students will also learn about mass extinctions by examining real fossils and analyzing quantitative data from the Paleobiology Database (paleobiodb.org), an open-access resource used by paleontologists to study trends in fossil collecting around the world. Not open to students who have previously completed a First Year Writing Seminar.
(First Year Writing Seminar (FYW)) (Science)