Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section

2 hours to complete

Appearance and Anatomy

This lesson covers the diversity in dinosaur appearances, and will be able to identify major features of the major groups of dinosaurs....

7 videos (Total 63 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Introduction9m

Size4m

Skeleton12m

Saurischians7m

Ornithischians10m

Appearance13m

Muscles4m

4 readings

Instructional Staff10m

Meet Your Presenter: Betsy Kruk10m

Course Glossary10m

Lesson 1 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Appearance and Anatomy10m

2

Section

1 hour to complete

Death and Fossilization

This module describes how fossils form, how we interpret the taphonomy of skeletons and bonebeds, and looks at the possible biases taphonomic events may create in the fossil record....

3 videos (Total 38 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Taphonomy9m

Fossilization8m

Field Work20m

1 readings

Lesson 2 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Death and Fossilization10m

3

Section

1 hour to complete

Eating

This module looks at the variety of food types, feeding habits, and feeding adaptations amongst the major groups of dinosaurs....

4 videos (Total 29 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Types of Eaters7m

Teeth7m

Claws3m

Determining Diet11m

1 readings

Lesson 3 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 310m

4

Section

1 hour to complete

Moving Around

This module helps students understand the general modes and styles of locomotion in the major dinosaur groups. It also describes general methods of evaluating hypotheses on locomotion....

4 videos (Total 28 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Stance5m

Limbs12m

Trackways4m

Metabolism 5m

1 readings

Lesson 4 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 410m

5

Section

1 hour to complete

Birth, Growth and Reproduction

This module provides a generalized life history of a dinosaur, from birth through adulthood, including reproduction. The student will be able to describe major techniques of evaluating growth stages and rates in dinosaurs....

3 videos (Total 28 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Eggs4m

Young Dinosaurs14m

Males & Females9m

1 readings

Lesson 5 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 510m

6

Section

1 hour to complete

Attack and Defense

Examines the behaviours and structures that may have served for attack or defence through the lifetime of a dinosaur. ...

3 videos (Total 37 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Defensive Adaptations13m

Offensive Adaptations15m

Intraspecific Interactions7m

1 readings

Lesson 6 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 610m

7

Section

1 hour to complete

What is a Species?

This module will teach the different ways of defining what a species is. Students will be able to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different species concepts for different situations....

3 videos (Total 27 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Naming Species9m

Holotype6m

Differentiating Species11m

1 readings

Lesson 7 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 710m

8

Section

1 hour to complete

Evolution

This module will describe the basic theories of speciation, and discusses how how these different methods of speciation may have occurred, including both hypothetical and empirical examples....

3 videos (Total 30 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Clades10m

Convergence9m

Birds9m

1 readings

Lesson 8 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 810m

9

Section

1 hour to complete

Stratigraphy and Geologic Time

This method provides basic stratigraphic concepts and the scale of earth history. Students will understand the evolution of dinosaurs through time, including which groups evolved when and where. ...

3 videos (Total 33 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Deep Time13m

Stratigraphy7m

The Age of Dinosaurs12m

1 readings

Lesson 9 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 910m

10

Section

1 hour to complete

Paleogeography and Plate Tectonics

This module presents the basic concepts in plate tectonics and the evolution of the earth’s surface. ...

4 videos (Total 59 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Paleogeography7m

Continental Movement8m

Paleoclimates10m

Dinosaur Diversity32m

1 readings

Lesson 10 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 1010m

11

Section

1 hour to complete

Dinosaur Origins

This module will look at the evolution of dinosaurs from non-dinosaurian archosaurs....

3 videos (Total 19 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Origins3m

Diapsids9m

Rise of the Dinosaurs6m

1 readings

Lesson 11 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 1110m

12

Section

1 hour to complete

Dinosaur Extinction

The module will examine the end-Cretaceous extinction event, and provide examples of vertebrate groups that both persisted and died out during the event. ...

4 videos (Total 33 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Extinction9m

Causes of Extinction5m

Chicxulub Impactor12m

Resurrecting Dinosaurs6m

1 readings

Lesson 12 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercises

Lesson 1210m

Frequently Asked Questions

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Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology