EOSC 116 · Mesozoic Earth: Time of the Dinosaurs
Earth's tectonics, climate, and oceans during the time of the dinosaurs. Reading the fossil record of Earth from its earliest origins up to and including the Mesozoic, 250 - 65 million years ago.
Syllabus
EOSC 116 is offered in both a Face to Face and a Hybrid (mostly distance learning) format. These two versions have the same Course Learning Goals and cover mostly the same content, although there are some differences.
Delivery: The Face to Face version includes regular lectures and assessments at UBC, Vancouver. In contrast, the Hybrid version has no in person lectures or in person term assessments. All term content and term assessments are taken online. This means the Hybrid version can be taken from anywhere with reliable internet.
*Note that both the Face to Face and Hybrid versions of the Course have a paper Final Exam that is taken in person at UBC, Vancouver, during the regular exam period. There is no option to take the Final Exam remotely for either version of the course.
Syllabus for both Hybrid (Mostly Distance Learning) and Face-to Face (in-person) Courses: CLICK HERE
Course Learning Goals and Skills (In-Person and Hybrid)
- Describe the dynamic processes that operate in the Earth System including those in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and the lithosphere.
- Discuss the influence of geologic time on the processes that shape our planet, with a particular focus on the development of the biosphere.
- Apply your knowledge of geosciences to enable the study and elucidation of Earth history with an emphasis on the Mesozoic.
Beyond the Course Learning Goals, this course aims to develop skills that will spread beyond the context of Earth Science. Specifically you will...
- Acquire critical thinking skills by learning to carefully consider the scientific evidence behind a theory.
- Learn key concepts about the physical universe that equip you to understand the new scientific discoveries that will be made in the years after you graduate.
- See the links among the various components of the "Earth System" and their relevance to real-world problems of concern such as climate change.
- Come to understand how scientific ideas have evolved with time.
- Gain confidence in 'science' by learning how we have come to know what we know, and where we are still uncertain.
- Learn how to apply real data to solve scientific problems.
Course Content
Hybrid Course Content
(EOSC116.99A; EOSC116.99C; EOSC 116.98A)
Module A (Earth and Time, the Basics) provides a basic overview of the scientific method and some of the key geological concepts needed for an appreciation of Earth's past environments and major events. Lessons will include learning about geological time, dating, continental drift, and basic paleontology in terms of how fossils can be used to help interpret Earth's history. You will also consider the types and relative rarity of different fossil groups.
Module B (Origins and Extinctions) examines the origins and early history of life. You will also consider why extinction events are just as important as periods of accelerated evolution in terms of the diversity of life on Earth. Finally you will study the two mass extinction events that bracket Mesozoic time.
Module C (Mesozoic Earth, Life’s Cradle) looks at how our planet can be treated as a composite of interacting systems. Landforms are controlled entirely by plate tectonic processes. The climate of the Mesozoic Era was warmer than today. In this Module, you will learn about the major tectonic, oceanic and climatic features of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods and investigate how and why they change over time.
Module D (Mesozoic Life) looks at the rise and eventual fall of the Mesozoic biosphere (life on Earth). Lessons include looking at Mesozoic life in the oceans, on land and in the skies. To finish the course, you will collect and use real dinosaur distributions from across North America in combination with existing knowledge about the duration and extent of a giant seaway, to reveal dinosaur migration patterns. In short, you will use actual dinosaur distributions to solve a puzzle about life in Earth's ancient past.
In-Person Course Content
(EOSC116.201)
Module A: Earth and Time: The Basics
1. Welcome & Key Concepts
2. Geological Time
3. The Shifting Plates
4. Earth System Science
5. Introduction to Fossils
Module B: Earth Origins
6. Early Origins
7. The Cambrian Explosion
8. Extinctions and the Permian Crisis
Module C: The Physical Mesozoic Earth
9. Mesozoic Tectonics
10. Mesozoic Oceans
11. Mesozoic Climate
Module D: Mesozoic Life
12. The Rise of Mesozoic Earth
13. Decoding Dinosaurs
14. The Spinosaurus Story
15. Life in the Mesozoic Skies
16. Plants - The Mesozoic Garden
17. Life in Mesozoic Oceans
18. The Collapse of the Mesozoic Earth
Course Schedules (In-Person and Hybrid)
See the Course Syllabus for each of the 'in person' and 'hybrid' courses attached at the link above for details of the general schedule for each version of the course.