EAES 1130: Dinosaur Planet Course Notes

Course Information

• Instructor: Dr. Derek Turner

• Email: turnerd1@douglascollege.ca

• Office: S3936 (NW)

• Office Hour: Thurs 11:30-12:30, in person or online (or by appointment)

• Labs: Frank Ma, Email: maa10@douglascollege.ca

Course Schedule

• Lectures: Thursday 12:30 – 2:20 pm

• Labs:

  • L01: Tuesday 12:30 - 2:20 pm

  • L02: Thursday 8:30 - 10:20 am

• Textbook: Fastovsky & Weishampel, 4th ed. (Earlier editions may have incorrect page numbers)

Course Outline

1. Course information

2. What's in this course?

3. Time of the dinosaurs

4. Science!

5. Fossils

Key Learning Objectives

• Dinosaur Groups and Evolution:

  • Distinguish major groups of dinosaurs and interpret their evolution.

  • Read phylogenetic trees to test relationships between different dinosaurs.

  • Relate changes in paleogeography to dinosaur fossils.

  • Infer the ages of dinosaurs.

• Fossil Understanding:

  • Describe and differentiate between fossils.

  • Apply the scientific method to study dinosaurs.

  • Explain how behaviors can be inferred from dinosaur fossils.

Evaluation Criteria

• In-Class Assignments: 5%

• Online Assignments: 10%

• Lab Assignments (9): 10%

• Lab Exams (3): 20%

• Dinosaur Project: 5%

• Term Tests (2): 20%

• Final Exam: 30%

• Total: 100%

Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Dinosaurs

• Dinosaurs’ classifications include major groups such as:

  • Ornithischia

  • Sauropodomorpha

  • Theropoda

  • Non-avialan and Avialan Maniraptora

Phylogenetic Tree Breakdown

• Triassic Period:

  • Includes groups like Herrerasaurus, Theropoda, and Sauropodomorpha.

• Jurassic and Cretaceous:

  • Evolutionary development continues into Tetanurae, Paraves, and more.

Paleogeography

• The world looked drastically different during the time of dinosaurs.

• Example: Paleogeographic maps of the mid-Jurassic (170 million years ago) provide insights into continental locations.

Common Myths About Dinosaurs

• Myths Debunked:

  • Dinosaurs were not all slow or stupid.

  • They did not all coexist at the same time.

  • Misunderstandings about swimming, extinction times, and their overall success in history.

Fossil Definition and Types

• Definition: Fossils are the physical evidence of ancient life, meaning 'something dug up'.

• Types of Fossils:

  • Body Fossils: Direct evidence like bones and tissues.

  • Trace Fossils: Indirect evidence like tracks and feces.

Fossilization Process

• Fossilization requires conditions for preservation including rapid burial to avoid damage.

• Fossils are typically preserved in soft sedimentary rocks.

Process of Fossilization

• Permineralization:

  • Occurs when the organic materials decay and the pores get filled with minerals, replacing the original material (e.g., hydroxyapatite replaced by quartz).

Various Types of Dinosaur Fossils

1. Bones and skeletons

2. Eggs

3. Gastroliths (gizzard stones)

4. Coprolites (fossilized feces)

5. Skin impressions

6. Footprints and trackways

7. Tooth marks

Reconstruction and Laboratory Work

• Most fossil preparations occur in laboratories, not in the field.

• Fully reconstructed dinosaurs are hypotheses based on fossil interpretations and consist of casts of original bones held in museums.

Important Dates in Dinosaur History

• Mesozoic Era:

  • Divided into three periods:

  • Triassic: Start at 252 million years ago

  • Jurassic: Starts at 201 million years ago

  • Cretaceous: Starts at 145 million years ago; ends with the mass extinction at 65.5 million years ago

The Scientific Method

1. Make initial observations to establish a question.

2. Develop one or more hypotheses to explain the observation.

3. Conduct observations or experiments to test hypotheses.

4. Narrow down to the best explanation (hypothesis).

5. Accumulate findings into a scientific theory.

Conclusion

• Dinosaurs existed for over 170 million years, with their development and extinction providing critical insights into the history of life on Earth.