B16 Course  
 

Science B-16: The History of Life
Section People


  
 
Sofya Low  Extreme Life - The story of life on Earth has many weird and wonderful characters. Fantastic creatures exist in extreme environments (hydrothermal vents, deep-sea caves, Antarctica, etc.), others exhibit surprising and intriguing behaviors (in their predation methods and courting rituals, for example), and finally some simply appear extremely bizarre. In this section, we will examine a selection of eccentrics of the animal world hands-on and in multimedia presentations, appreciating and discussing the reasons (if they indeed exist) for their strangeness. In addition, we will consider these creatures in the context of the museum: acquisition, presentation, and the collectors themselves. Section grades will be determined by in-class activities, short homework assignments, and participation.

John Mathew  Extinction and Conservation: Two sides of a coin in a contemporary world  Against the backdrop of extinction and speciation that we shall be studying in this course over evolutionary time, our mini-course shall explore issues of extinction in the present day. Extinction shall be considered in the broadest possible sense, not merely of species, but of natural resources and anthropological cultures alike. We shall explore the effects of global treaties on such issues as biodiversity, climate change and the roles of indigenous peoples. And we shall discuss whether conservation strategies as enunciated by concerned organizations, particularly in the industrialized world, are making the difference they set out to, when translated in developing nations. Mini-course requirements: Each student is expected to make a presentation on an area of interest as identified in the areas suggested above. After each presentation, every student not directly involved in that  presentation will be required to prepare a one-page report to be submitted the following week.

Tamara Melnick  The Paleozoic Era (543 to 250 million years ago) was a pivotal time in the history of life.  It was a time of important originations, major extinctions, and changing climate.  In this section, we will be looking at the six periods of the Paleozoic within the context of how paleontologists investigate and describe the history of life.  Topics included will be biodiversity, biogeography, extinction, biostratigraphy and functional morphology.  The section grade will be based on short lab assignments and class participation.

Corwin Sullivan  The earliest mammals evolved from within a group of diverse, fascinating and in some cases downright grotesque animals known as the synapsids or so-called “mammal-like reptiles”. In this section we will examine the origin of mammals as a case study for evolutionary transitions in general, considering the early synapsids not only as the predecessors of mammals but also as a major evolutionary success story in their own right. We’ll start by looking at fossil specimens to learn about the anatomy and paleobiology of the various synapsid groups, and proceed to apply our knowledge to discussions of scientific papers dealing with aspects of their evolutionary history and the origin of mammals. Grading will be based on participation in these discussions and short written assignments.

Matt Thompson  Genes versus structure:  Working biologists commonly hold the view that a living thing is no more than a set of genes, which, when organized as a genome, control every aspect of the organism's development and physiology.  There is some uncertainty, however, as to whether this view is truly accurate.  Indeed, the current success of the genetic paradigm in describing life is less due to its realism than to the fact that it "works"--that is, it is not "wrong" per se and it occasionally allows us to transform an organism by genetic means.  However, many aspects of life demand more than just genetics for their study.  If we are to gain a more inclusive view of the nature of life we must learn more about how a funny combination of topological (or membrane) constraints and digital (or genetic) controls governs the smooth functioning of organisms, and their evolution.  Our exploration of this topic will begin with Darwin's "Origin of Species" and complete the semester with a discussion of the origin of life. Section-specific assignments will include (1) weekly readings of recent and classic literature, and (2) group presentations of that literature.  Section grading will depend entirely upon in-section participation.