The History and Evolution of Life on Earth

Within our solar system, Earth is distinguished as the planet with life. Living organisms are complex entities that originated from planetary processes, have been sustained by the same processes for approximately four billion years, and have fundamentally affected the functioning and composition of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. In this course we will investigate the ways that Earth and life interact with each other, focusing on the biogeochemical cycles of major elements, and the interplay between complex organisms and their ever-changing environment. This will provide a framework for interpreting the fascinating history of life reconstructed from a comprehensive understanding of the rock record, the diversity of life through time, and evolutionary biology.
Course Notes: Course includes a weekly three-hour lab to be arranged and one international field trip. OEB 56 is also offered as EPS 56. Students may not take both for credit. This course fulfills the EPS sub-discipline requirement of Earth History and Geobiology.
Recommended Prep: EPS 10, OEB 10, or Life Sciences 1b, or permission of instructor.