• Lecture Schedule

• Lecture Notes

• Terms for Exams
  

Instructor:  Dr. Bruce E. Fleury

Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Stern 4030, x8290, 865-5191 (Bio Office)
email: bfleury@.tulane.edu
home page: http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/

Fortey, Richard. 1997. Life - A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth. Vintage: New York.

Cowen, Richard. History of Life. 4th ed., Blackwell, 2005.

We rarely think beyond the narrow envelope of our human life span. Man is a relative newcomer to planet Earth. All of human history represents only a minute portion of the vast stretch of prehistoric time. Throughout these hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history, many strange and wonderful organisms have ruled the world. This class will acquaint you with these curious creatures and the world they inhabited. You will gain a better perspective on the origin of our modern world, and the roots of our own species.

There will be three exams, each exam counting 100 points. Exams will consist of definitions, fill-ins, and short answer essay questions. Grades will be assigned as a percentage of 300 points using the grading scale shown below. The final will consist of the third lecture exam, and will not be cumulative.

Students are reminded that all members of this class will adhere to the LAS Honor Code, which can be found at: http://www.tulane.edu/~uc/honorcode.htm

 

Date	Topic	Readings
May
11	Introduction, Origin of Life 1-2
13	Origin of Life 3, Cell to Organisms 1	Fortey 1-68; Cowen, Ch. 1
18	Cells to Organisms 2, 3	Fortey 69-86
20	Lecture Exam #1
25	Memorial Day - No Class
27	Evolution	Cowen Ch. 2-4
June
1	Discovery of Time 1-2
3	Cambrian Explosion 1-2
8	Lecture Exam #2	Fortey 87-136;  Cowen Ch. 5
10	Fossils	Fortey 137-209
15	Extinction	Fortey 210-260; Cowen Ch. 6, 16
17	Dinosaurs	Fortey 261-322
22	Dinosaurs	Cowen Ch. 11-13
24	Lecture Exam #3

• Introduction
  
  
• What is Life? - Origin of Life 1
  
  
•  How Life Works - Origin of Life 2
  
  
• Origin of Life - 3
  
  
• Cells to Organisms 1
  
  
• Cells to Organisms 2
  
  
• Cells to Organisms 3
  
  
• Processes of Evolution
  
  
• Intelligent Design
  
  
• The Discovery of Time 1
  
  
• The Discovery of Time 2
  
  
• Cambrian Explosion 1
  
  
• Cambrian Explosion 2
  
  
• Fossils 1
  
  
• Fossils 2
  
  
• Extinction 1
  
  
• Extinction 2
  
  
• Dinosaurs 1
  
  
• Dinosaurs 2
  
  
• Dinosaurs 3
  
  
• Human Evolution
  

Recommended Reading

Bowler, P. Evolution: The History of an Idea. University of California Press, 1989.

Desmond, A. The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs. Dial Press, 1976.

Glen, W. (ed). Mass-Extinction Debates: How Science Works In A Crisis. Stanford University Press, 1994.

Gould, S.J. Ever Since Darwin. Norton, 1977. Ch. 17, The Reverend Thomas’ Dirty Little Planet, pp. 141-146, Ch. 18, Uniformity and Catastrophe, pp. 147-152.

Parsons, K.M. The Great Dinosaur Controversy. ABC-Clio, 2004. Ch. 2, Fearfully Great Lizards, pp. 15-31; Ch. 3, Huxley Agonistes, pp. 33-48; and Ch. 6, Cold-Blooded, Warm-Blooded, or Neither, pp. 87-104.

Raup, D.M. Extinction: Bad Genes or Bad Luck? Norton, 1991, esp. pp. 64-87.

Raup, D.M. The Nemesis Affair: A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs and the Ways of Science. Norton, 1986. Ch. 2, Catastrophism and Earth History, pp. 29-45; Ch. 4,  Gubbio and the Iridium Anomaly, pp. 61-74; Ch. 7, Enter Periodic Extinction, pp. 107-129; and Ch. 12, Belief Systems in Science, pp. 193-207.

Toulmin, S and J. Goodfield. The Discovery of Time. University of Chicago, 1965. Ch. 4, The Revival of Natural Philosophy, pp. 74-102; and Ch. 7, The Earth Acquires A History, pp. 141-170.

The following readings are available online: 

Futuyma, D. Hypotheses, Facts, and the Nature of Science
Gould, S.J. Velikovsky in Collision.
National Academy of Sciences. Science, Evolution, and Creationism.

      Fleury's Creationism/ID Bibliography

      UCMP Berkely exhibit on the history of evolutionary thought

Andrews' creationism links and resources

National Academy of Science - Evolution resources from the National Academies

National Academy of Sciences. Science, Evolution, and Creationism (booklet)

The Wedge Document (Intelligent Design's Manifesto)

      The Fundamentals. Full text of the essays online

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