Macalester College Geology Department

Instructor: Ray Rogers
Level: Advanced
Offered: Alternate Spring Semesters

This course surveys the long history of life, as recorded by the fossil record. Students are introduced to the morphology and paleoecology of the major fossil groups (focus is on invertebrates) through discussions, labs, and readings. Students also learn the methods used to study the paleobiology and evolution of extinct organisms. Three lectures and one three-hour lab per week. Local field trips. Prerequisite: Geology 155 or permission of the instructor.

Major Topics of Study Include:

• Systematics and morphology of major fossil groups
• Functional morphology
• Taphonomy (fossil preservation)
• Evolutionary patterns and processes