Extinction
Tuesdays
Apr 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7
Ross McPhee

This module exposes students to perspectives on extinction outside the usual contexts of conservation biology, although recent and projected losses will be part of the course. Topics will include definitions of extinction and its relation to evolution, and discussion of causes of extinctions past and present. Extinction will be explored through time, from the Proterozoic era, through the Mesozoic, across human history, to the present and beyond. Past and present extinctions will be compared and students will be introduced to paleontological methods of interpreting the Deep Time record. Enrollment limited: preference to students in 9-month program.