• Lecture Schedule 

• Lecture Notes in Text Format

• Terms for Exams

Class Meets:  MWF 3:00-3:50, in Boggs 242

Office Hours: Mon. & Fri. 2:00-3:00 PM, Tues. 9:00 - 11:00 AM, or by appointment.

Textbooks

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.

Additional readings (journal articles) may be assigned during the semester, and will be available on the web or  library reserve.

Philosophy and Goals

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.

Grading

There will be four 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 400 points using the grading scale shown below. The final will 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/~jruscher/dept/Honor.Code.html

Schedule of Topics 

Date	Topic	Readings
January
18	Introduction - What Scientists Do
20	Discovery of Time
23	Discovery of Time
25	Discovery of Time
27	Discovery of Time
30	Intelligent Design
February
1	Intelligent Design
3	Evolution	Cowen Ch. 2-4
6	Evolution
8	Origin of Life	Fortey 1-68; Cowen, Ch. 1
10	Origin of Life
13	Origin of Life
15	Origin of Life
17	Origin of Life
20	Mardi Gras Break
22	Origin of Life
24	Origin of Life
27	Lecture Exam #1
29	Cells to Organisms	Fortey 69-86
March
2	Cells to Organisms
5	Cells to Organisms
7	Cells to Organisms
9	Cells to Organisms
12	Spring Break
14	Spring Break
16	Spring Break
19	Cambrian Explosion	Fortey 87-136;  Cowen Ch. 5
21	Cambrian Explosion
23	Cambrian Explosion
26	Fossils	Fortey 137-209
28	Fossils
30	Fossils
April
2	Lecture Exam #2
4	Extinction	Fortey 210-260; Cowen Ch. 6, 16
6	Easter Break
9	Easter Break
11	Extinction
13	Extinction
16	Dinosaurs	Fortey 261-322; Cowen Ch. 11-13
18	Dinosaurs
20	Dinosaurs
23	Dinosaurs
25	Dinosaurs
27	Human Evolution
30	Lecture Exam #3
May 5 (Sat.)	Final Exam , 1:00 - 2:30

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Outline Notes in Text Format

• Introduction
  
  

• What Scientists Do
  
  

• The Discovery of Time 1
  
  

• The Discovery of Time 2
  
  

• Intelligent Design
  
  

• Evolution
  
  

• Origin of Life 1
  
  

• Origin of Life 2
  
  

• Origin of Life - 3
  
  

• Cells to Organisms 1
  
  

• Cells to Organisms 2
  
  

• Cells to Organisms 3
  
  

• Cambrian Explosion 1
  
  

• Cambrian Explosion 2
  
  

• Fossils 1
  
  

• Fossils 2
  
  

• Extinction 1
  
  

• Extinction 2
  
  

• Dinosaurs 1
  
  

• Dinosaurs 2
  
  

• Dinosaurs 3
  
  

• Human Evolution
  

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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.

Links

      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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