Brooklyn College
City University of New York
Dinosaur Core; Fall 2000

SYLLABUS OF LECTURE TOPICS
In the reading lists given below the acronyms for the text and recommended reference books have the following meanings:
N - Norman; L&T - Lutgens & Tarbuck; L - Levins;
S- Stanley; F&B - Farlow & Brett-Surman
Required reading is in red and is capitalized;
Recommended reading is in blue

**SYLLABUS OF LECTURE TOPICS**
In the reading lists given below the acronyms for the text and recommended reference books have the following meanings: N - Norman; L&T - Lutgens & Tarbuck; L - Levins; S- Stanley; F&B - Farlow & Brett-Surman Required reading is in red and is capitalized; Recommended reading is in blue

	I. GEOLOGY:
	A. Minerals & Rocks B. Fossils, bias in the fossil record C. Reconstruction of ancient environments D. Geologic Time E. Plate tectonics and its evolutionary consequences
	Readings for Part I:
	LUCAS - pg 33-41. General: N - ch 1, 2; L&T - ch 1 Minerals: L&T - ch 2 Rocks: L&T - ch 3, 6,7 Fossils: L - ch 3 Plate Tectonics: L&T - ch 16 ; S - ch. 7, 8 Geologic Time: L&T - ch 18; L - ch 4: S - ch. 5
	II. DINOSAURS DEFINED:
	A. Animal body plans B. Vertebrate anatomy C. Dinosaur characteristics D. Dinosaur relatives - yes; dinosaurs - no
	Readings for Part II:
	LUCAS - pg.45-49 General: N - pg 47-49
	III. DINOSAURS IN SPACE AND TIME:
	A. Dinosaur Preservation B. Dinosaur Recovery C. History of Dinosaur Discovery
	Readings for Part III:
	Preservation: LUCAS - pg 29 -32; N - pg 23-28 History: LUCAS; ch 1; N - ch 3; F&B - pg 1-60, 707-720
	IV. DINOSAURS AS FOSSIL ANIMALS:
	A. Dinosaur Anatomy - skeletons and soft tissues B. Types of Dinosaurs - pelvic structure C. Lizard hipped dinosaurs D. Bird hipped dinosaurs Readings for Part IV: Dino anatomy: LUCAS - pg 52-55; F&B - pg 78-91 Lizard hipped dinos: LUCAS - ch 5,6 Bird hipped dinos: LUCAS - ch 7,8,9 Types of dinos: N - ch 4; F&B - pg 216-330
	V. DINOSAURS AS LIVING ANIMALS:
	A. Dinosaur Habitats - environmental preferences B. Dinosaur Food and Feeding - what they ate and how they ate it C. Dinosaur Intelligence - smart or dumb? D. Dinosaur Disease - what made them sick? E. Dinosaur Growth & Size - why so large? F. Dinosaur Behavior I - aggressive or gentle? G. Dinosaur Behavior II - sluggish or active? H. Dinosaur Behavior III - social animals? I. Dinosaur Behavior IV - parental care? J. Dinosaur Metabolism - hot or cold blooded?
	Readings for Part V:
	LUCAS - ch 11,12,13; N - ch 5 Habitats: F&B - pg 352-370 Food: F&B - pg 371-382 Behavior & Growth: F&B - pg 383-505
	VI. DINOSAUR HISTORY:
	A. Vertebrate evolutionary themes - dinosaur/mammal interactions B. Dinosaur Origins - how and when C. Early History - gizzards and stomach stones D. Late History - grinding teeth and fermentation vats E. Dinosaur Dominance - why were they so successful for so long? F. Dinosaur Extinction - why did they disappear? G. Dinosaur Legacy - are dinosaurs really extinct?
	Readings for Part VI:
	LUCAS - ch 10,14,15 General: N - ch 5, 6, 7; L - ch 12; F&B - pg 581-662
	VII. LESSONS FROM DINOSAURS:
	A. What happened after dinosaurs disappeared I - climate deteriorates B. What happened after dinosaurs disappeared II - the rise of placental mammals C. Dinosaur/Human Analogies - are humans mammal versions of dinosaurs? D. Were humans inevitable - what would have happened if dinosaurs had not become extinct? E. What does it mean to dominate the earth - humans and dinosaurs compared F. Will humans share the fate of dinosaurs?
	Readings for Part VII:
	General: L - Ch 14, 15