Tufts University Department of Geology Courses
Students considering a major in
Geology or Geological Sciences should discuss their course selections with Anne Gardulski, Jack Ridge, Grant Garven, Molly McCanta or Jake Benner. This is important because upper level courses are offered in alternate years. Careful planning should give you the opportunity to participate in more course offerings. Please consult this guide to Geology majors and minors. The listing below is an estimate of which courses will be taught in future semesters, they are not guaranteed.
NOTE: Most course websites have transitioned to Blackboard.
Choose a link from the list below to view the course description or download the latest course booklet.
Geology 38 - Historical Geology and Paleontology |
One of the fascinating aspects of the Earth's history is the rich and varied life forms that have inhabited our planet for the past 3.5 billion years. Organisms with hard shells and skeletons that could easily be preserved as fossils first appeared about 570 million years ago. As time passed, these early life forms multiplied and diversified into a great variety of plants and animals, many of which would flourish and then die out, and others which continue to inhabit the earth up until the present day. The fossil record provides a means of tracing the evolution and extinction of many groups of organisms, and also supplies information about their ecology and community structures. This course will cover aspects of the taxonomy and description of the major fossil groups, evolutionary trends, and paleoecology, within the context of the geological development of North America. |
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