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.
EOSC 116 Video: HERE
Syllabus
EOSC 116 is offered in both an In-Person 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 In-Person Course includes regular lectures and assessments at UBC, Vancouver. In contrast, the Hybrid Course has no in person lectures or in person term assessments. All term content and term assessments are taken online. This means the Hybrid Course can be taken from anywhere with reliable internet.
*Note that both the In-Person and Hybrid Courses 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 course.
PDFs of Complete Provisional Syllabus for both Hybrid (Mostly Distance Learning) and In-Person Courses: CLICK HERE
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 to appreciate Earth's past environments and major events. Lessons include learning about geological time, dating, continental drift, and basic paleontology as well as how fossils can be used to help interpret Earth's ancient history.
Module B (Origins and Extinctions) examines the origins and early history of life. You will also consider how extinction events, as well as periods of accelerated evolution, both impact 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 almost entirely by plate tectonic processes. The climate of the Mesozoic Era was warmer than today. 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 data from across North America and beyond, in combination with existing knowledge about the duration and extent of a giant seaway, to reveal dinosaur migration patterns in North America'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 provisional schedule for each course.