| Time: | Period Tuesday and Friday 10:20-11:40: |
| Place: | |
| Instructor: | Prof McGhee mcghee@rci.rutgers.edu |
| Office: |
WL-242
|
| Office hours: | Mondays, 10:00 to 11:30 am
Wednesdays, 10:00 to 11:30 am
or by appointment |
| Department Office: | 250 Wright-Rieman Labs (Busch) |
| Administrative Assistant | Jovani Reaves
Tel: 732 445-2044 |
| Text: | Required Textbook
Lucas, S. G. Fifth Edition: DINOSAURS. McGraw Hill Publishers, Boston, 280 pp
Strongly Recommended Study Guide
McGhee, G. R. Second Edition: LECTURE TOPICS IN DINOSAURS. University Publishing Solutions, East Brunswick NJ, 119 pp. |
| Website: | |
| Grading: | Each examination counts as 1/3rd (33.3%) of the total course grade. The examinations are totally in an objective format. |
| Departmental policy: | "No make-up exams will be given without written documentation from a Rutgers University official." |
| Class # | | Topic | Suggested
readings
|
|---|
| 1 | | Introduction |
Ch 1 |
| 2 | | Geological time and the evolution of life on Earth |
Ch 3 |
| 3 | | The major phases of global ecosystem evolution |
none |
| 4 | | Basic concepts of the species and macroevolution |
Ch 2 |
| 5 | | Philosophies of dinosaur systematics |
Ch 2 |
| 6 | | Evolution of the earliest vertebrates |
none |
| 7 | | Invasion of the land: the terrestrial ecosystem before the evolution of the dinosaurs | none |
| 8 | | What is a reptile? The amphibian-reptile transition |
none |
| 9 | |
Exam I |
|
| 10 | | The reptilian precursors to the dinosaur ecosystem |
Ch 4 |
| 11 | | The archosaur and dinosaur controversies: do the dinosaurs “really exist”? | Ch 4 |
| 12 | | Classification of the dinosaurs: traditional views and “hot blooded” challenges | Ch 4 |
| 13 | | The herbivorous saurischians: the sauropodomorphs |
Ch 6 |
| 14 | | The carnivorous saurischians: the theropods |
Ch 5 |
| 15 | | Predatory dinosaurs and the evolution of the birds |
Ch 14 |
| 16 | | The armored ornithiscians: stegosarus, ankylosaurs |
Ch 8 |
| 17 | | The “bipedal” ornithischians: hypsilophodonts, iguanodonts, and hadrosaurs |
Ch 7 |
| 18 | | The last ornithischians: ceratopsians and the peculiar pachycephalosaurs |
Ch 9 |
| 19 | |
Exam II |
|
| 20 | | The structure and evolution of the dinosaur ecosystem |
Ch 10 |
| 21 | | Dinosaur physiology: Were the dinosaurs endothermic? |
Ch 13 |
| 22 | | The hot debate concerning the “hot blooded” dinosaurs |
Ch 13 |
| 23 | | Dinosaur behavior: Were the dinosaurs social? |
Ch 12 |
| 24 | | The End of the Cretaceous: destruction of the dinosaur ecosystem |
Ch 12 |
| 25 | | What caused the Mass Extinction? |
Ch 15 |
| 26 | | Ecosystem dynamics: “passive” replacement of dinosaurs by mammals? |
Ch 15 |
| 27 | | The Paleocene: rapid radiation of mammals in the post-dinosaur world |
none |
| 28 | | Rutgers University Geology Museum visit |
Muesum Handout |
| |
|
Exam III |
|
