GLY-1101L: The History of Life Laboratory
Summer A Term 2008
Room: PC 448 (Charles Perry Building at UP Campus)
Instructors:
Jie Cheng Tu/Th 12:30 – 3:15 pm jchen010@fiu.edu
Carly Smith Tu/Th 3:30 – 6:15 pm carly.smith@fiu.edu
Office hours are by appointment. Please, if you need assistance do not hesitate to meet with your lab instructor. Schedule an appointment by email.
LAB OBJECTIVE: Hands-on experience with fossils and other biological specimens to understand the interacting biological and geological principles and processes that shape (d) life on Earth.
CLASS READINGS: Lab Exercise handouts must be downloaded from the class website and printed out before the beginning of each class.
It may be simplest to print out as many exercises as possible at one sitting rather than having to remember to print them out each week before coming to class. The book Life of the Past (4th edition), by W.I. Ausich and N.G. Lane (1999), which is required for the lecture course, can be used to supplement explanations in the handouts.
Grading
Labs: Each weekly Lab Exercise handout = 10 points. Total Lab Exercise points = 100. Each lab will be evaluated on an individual basis, and will be returned at the beginning of the next lab. There will be no grading on a normal curve (curving).
Exams: Will be practical. Lab Midterm = 50 points. Lab Final Quiz = 50 points. Total exam points = 100.
Grades: Total points = 200. Grades are determined by points as follows: A=180-200, B=160-179, C=140-159, D=120-139, F= less than 120 points.
Policies
- Attendance is mandatory because written exercises are completed during the labs. There are no makeup labs. If you have a medical emergency or a serious family problem then arrangements will be possible. Verification in the form of an official document will be required. Labs start on time.
- Cheating and any other kind of misconduct is unacceptable and will be reported to university officials. See Student Handbook regarding the FIU policies.
- The class will be responsible for cleaning up the Lab.
- No food or drinks in the laboratory.
- Cellular phones must be turned off during the lab period.
LAB COURSE OUTLINE
http://www.fiu.edu/~geology/Content/Syllabi/Syllabi.html
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EXERCISES |
MATERIAL COVERED Please click on link to download assignment. |
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INTRO
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Course overview, handling fossils and zoological specimens |
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LAB 1
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Telling Time: Principles of Stratigraphy (Covers Chapter 1: pages 6-12, Chapter 3: pages 47-51) |
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LAB 2
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Principles of classifying biodiversity, and preservation of fossils (Covers Chapter 2: pages 19-46) |
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LAB 3
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Paleoenvironments, Paleoecology and Preservation (Covers Chapter 3: pages 46-47 & 51-54) |
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LAB 4
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Genetic Expression and Frequencies (Covers Chapter 3: pages 33-46, Chapter 5: pages 63-67) |
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LAB 5
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Morphologic Variation and Evolution (Covers Chapter 5: pages 66-75) |
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LAB 6 & REVIEW
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Invertebrates of the Paleozoic Era (Covers Chapter 9: pages 121-132, Chapter 10: pages 133-151, Chapter 11: pages 162-178, Chapter 12: pages 179-192) |
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MIDTERM
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Covers Labs 1-5 (not Lab 6) |
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LAB 7
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Invertebrates of the Mesozoic Era (Covers Chapter 10: pages 152-191, Chapter 11: pages 162-178, Chapter 12: pages 179-192) |
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LAB 8 |
Invertebrates of the Cenozoic Era (Covers Chapter 10: pages 152-191, Chapter 11: pages 162-178, Chapter 12: pages 179-192) |
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LAB 9
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(Covers Chapter 13: pages 193-198, Chapter 14: pages 205-232) |
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LAB 10 & REVIEW
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Dinosaurs, Mammals and Hominoids (Covers Chapter 13: pages 198-204, Chapter 15: pages 233-258, Chapter 16: pages 259-280, Chapter 17: pages 281-291) |
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FINAL EXAM
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Cumulative, covers Labs 1-10 |
The syllabus may be subject to change due to unscheduled events such as emergency university closings. Please consult the syllabus on the web (www.fiu.edu/~geology) for the latest version.