GEOL 3352

Examination of the basic geologic and paleontologic principles used to determine when mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and ichthyosaurs lived and reconstruction of their lifestyles, including how they swam, what they ate (and what ate them) and how they raised their young.

Students will know the geologic time scale and the basic geologic principles that allowed geologists to conclude the earth is old. Students will know what earth's climate, oceans and continents were in the Mesozoic Era. Students will know how fossils form. Students will know that mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs were contemporaries of dinosaurs. Students will know that mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs were not dinosaurs and not particularly closely related to them. Students will know basic geologic and paleontologic principles used to determine when mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs lived. Students will know basic geologic and paleontologic principles used to reconstruct the lifestyles, including how they swam, what they ate (and what ate them), and how they raised their young, of mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.