The links (underlined and in blue or in purple if you've been there recently ) compiled on this and the associated pages provide the best entries I have found into the huge Internet web of information about life on earth and the history of life on earth. There is much, much more and the difficulty is to cull the wheat from the chaff. I have tried to do that here, but I am sure you will find sites that you find just as informative and/or entertaining. The links here are up-to-date as of 3/12/04. If you find errors, have trouble, or want to tell me about exciting places you've found that cover topics in the course (so that I can add them for others to investigate), please send me your comments: double click on the following address to send me email ( fredr@cc.wwu.edu ).
Student grading record note: Late on Monday,
3/15/04 I will post, outside the lab, a student roster with grades from lecture
& lab so far and an indication of your present letter grade position.
I will hold Office Hours next week MW 10-11. I have several Mid
Term 2 last pages from students who didn't pick them up - you can do so during
one of these Office Hour times.
Course schedule and assignments - minor changes and corrections 2/11/04 Course syllabus - no changes Timeline handout - final version through 3/12/04 -- this will be kept up-to-date with what I present in lecture: these are the important "dates" for you to know - see the Walk Through Time frames as well (below). Continental drift & evolutionary time chart handout labeled (with final additions through 3/12/04) Please read the on-line essay on E. O. Wilson: Darwin's natural heir This gives interesting background on the author of "The Future of Life"
PowerPoint backup files - These files contain slides with some of the content from lecture (major points, illustrations, animations) plus links to web sites, movies and other illustrations shown in lecture. You are responsible only for what I present in lecture. Use these as a backup to your notes. Arranged in order of topics covered.
- Introductions
- Prokaryotes
- Protista - Protozoa
- Protista - Algae
- Evolution into and out of the Protista
- Animals - Early Invertebrates I
- Animals - Invertebrates II (Molluscs, Annelids, Arthropods)
- Geological time, Continental Drift
- Early Animal Evolution
- Plant Intro and Non-vascular Plants (Mosses, etc.)
- Seedless Vascular Plants (Ferns, etc.)
- Naked seeded vascular plants (Conifers, etc.)
- Flowering vascular plants
- Fruit development
- Plant evolution
- Coevolution of Plants and Insects
- Fungi (everything in one, big file)
- Echinoderms and lower Chordates
- Darwin & Natural Selection
- Vertebrates (through human evolution)
- Old Growth Canopy Travelogue - read Final Study Guide to see what I would like you to get out of this
A Walk Through Time - from stardust to us The Introductory page for the ongoing "Walk Through Time" project, funded by the Foundation for Global Community. This page gives some backgound - click on the "Walk Through Time Online" tab above to access the virtual "Walk Through Time". Once on this next page click on the upper right image for a framed version of the interactive timeline. We will often be referring to this site so be sure you know how it works. I will post the on-going assignments from the timeline (click on the box labelled with the years, millions of years before present - mybp; "concept boxes are right after the dated content - press the "Next" to get to those pages) that I would like you to study below, by the lecture date to which they apply. Note: if you click below the "dark" page, you can get a "light", printable version.Jan 9 - 4100 - 3800
Jan 12, 14 - 3700, 3600, 3200, 2900, 2800
Jan 16 - 2400, 1700 (+ concept), 1600, 1500
Jan 23 - 1300 (+ concept), 1200, 1000, 700
Feb 6 - 700 concept, 600, 580 concept, 540, 510
Feb 13 - 500, 455 (+ concept), 360
Feb 22 - 280, 110
Feb 25 - 500 concept, 455 (repeat), 435, 400
Mar 8 - 505, 395, 340, 265
Mar 10 - 245, 225, 150, 145
Mar 12 - 65, 55, 10, 5-0
Here is the study guide
Here are some trial questions
Here is the study guide [NOTE: as of 2/25/04, there are a couple of changes to this file; if you downloaded an earlier version, please replace it with this]
Here are some trial questions
Here is the study guide
Here are some trial questions
Chris Scotese's Paleomap continental drift reconstructions Life's diversity did not evolve in a vacuum. The history of the earth's surface can help us understand the geographical and climatological settings in which evolution took place. This site provides many rich images and explanations of what happened when and why.Powers of Ten This site includes a chart view of the entire span of the movie - click on a square to go to that "power of ten". There is even an online version of the film you can watch here (somewhat lower resolution, but the effect is the same if you have a high-speed connection ).
Powers of Ten by Ray & Charles Eames is based on an earlier book, Cosmic View, by Kees Boeke. Here is a site reprinting that site in its entirety: in some ways, these drawings are more approachable than the movie.
