GLY 363 Invertebrate Paleontology Spring, 2013

Paleontology is the study of ancient organisms, their biology, evolution, and ecology. Paleontology plays a central role in geology because the creatures of the past provide so much information on ancient environments, climates, ecology, and geologic time. Being a paleontologist is like being a detective--observational skills, intuition and sheer hard work are need to be succeed.

Instructor

Christopher A. McRoberts
337 Bowers Hall
voice: x2925
e-mail: mcroberts@cortland.edu

 

General Course Information

Upon completing this course students will be able to use the fossil rec ord to make inferences about paleoenvironments and as a means of dating the relative age of fossil-bearing rocks. Hence it will be required that students demonstrate a general understanding of the various groups of fossil organisms and their stratigraphic occurrence, as well as the principles and theories of paleontological techniques and scientific reasoning.

Important Links and Resources

Syllabus Lecture and Lab Schedule [in pdf format]

Reference and Tutorial Website with lots of images of lab specimens to accompany the course.

A listing [in pdf format] of suppliers of geological tools, including nice hand lenses

 

Important Dates:

• February 27: Exam 1
  
• March 30: Field Trip (meet at 9:00 AM, Bowers Hall)
  
• April 3: Exam 2
  
• May 15. 8:00 AM: Final Exam
  
  
  

Required Text:

• Benton, M.J. and Harper, D.A.T. 2009. Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record. Wiley-Blackwell
• Additional readings will be made available throughout the semester.

Attendance Policy:

You are expected to attend all lectures and laboratories; however, attendance per se will not be part of your grade assessment. Each student, however, will be responsible for material missed and any assignments due on the day of an absence. Unless otherwise excused (see below) make-up quizzes and exams will not allowed. Excused absences include your illness, a death or other family emergency, and must be documented.

Other Paleontology Resources and Internet Links

• David Linsley's Devonian Paleontology of New York is available as a free pdf download from the Paleontological Research Insitition's website (55 mb big!). Click here.
  
  
• Geologic Time Scale (color web version) or click here for a downloadable version in Adobe pdf format.
  
  
• So, you want to be a paleontologist?
  
  
• PaleoPortal. A very nice site with lots of paleo stuff, images, links, etc...
  
  
• Paleonet. A clearing house of paleontological related stuff.
  
  
• The Tree of Lfe from the University of Arizona
  
  
• Systematic and Taxonomy Teaching Resources: A site where you can download two excellent books (references) on cladisitc methodology in pdf format . WOW
  
  
• The Paleontological Society. North America's leading paleontological society.
  
  
• Museum of the Earth & Paleontological Research Institute. A local paleontological institution with lots of educational resources and links.
  
  
• Learning from the Fossil Record. A web site devoted to paleontological education, aimed at primary and secondary school educators
  
  
• Central New York Paleontology Group. An informal group of professional and student paleontologists in central New York

Return to SUNY Cortland's Paleontology Laboratory

Return to SUNY Cortland's Geology Department

SUNY Cortland is an Equal Opportunity Institution. State University of New York and the College at Cortland do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or marital status in admissions, employment, and treatment of students and employees.

This page was created: August 25, 1997; modified: January 17, 2013