The study of community paleoecology seeks to derive ecological meaning from the reconstruction of ancient ecosystems. From this vantage point, fossil assemblages are used to observe long-term patterns in biogeography, evolution, and organism-environment interactions. The overarching themes in this course will emphasize theoretical frameworks in community ecology and stratigraphic paleobiology that advance the collective understanding of how to read and interpret the fossil record to document ecosystem interactions over geologic history. Case studies from across Earth's history will underscore the necessity of examining past ecosystems to contextualize modern and future ecosystem structure. We will accomplish these aims with lectures, student presentations, readings of the primary literature, and the required accompanying lab course (E&ES259). Pre/co-requisites: BIOL182, E&ES101, E&ES115, E&ES155, E&ES197, or E&ES199. |