Ralph E. Taggart, Professor
Spring Semester, 2007
Where and When the Course Meets:
145 Natural Science Building
M, W, F: 12:40-1:30
Many of the lecture topics listed below already have active links to supplementary material which is essential to the course. You are alwaysresponsible for this material. As the course proceeds, new links may be added and you are responsible for checking the schedule on a regular basis to assure that you do not miss any new links/pages.
January 08
Plant classification and nomenclature
A basic classification of plant-like taxa
[Review just the basic plant life cycle page - do not go to the individual life cycle links]
January 10
Plant ecology - the producers
January 12
Plant ecology - the biomes
January 15
Dr. Martin Luther King Day - no class
January 17
Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species, including:
Darwin and the Origin of Species
January 19
Speciation I
January 22
Speciation II
January 24
Measuring Geological Time
Rocks and Time - the Geological Time Scale
January 26
Mass extinctions
January 29
EXAM 1: normal classroom and lecture time, covering material since the start of the course.
January 31
The Origin of Life on Earth
The Inner (Terrestrial) Planets
February 02
The oxygen crisis
February 05
Diversification in the oceans
Review the basic plant life cycle page and then study the algal life cycle page.
February 07
The biology of life on land
February 09
The first land plants
The First Vascular Land Plants
Review the basic plant life cycle page and then study the fern life cycle page.
February 12
Coal Age I - the Lycopods
February 14
Coal Age II - the horsetails
http://fybio.bio.usyd.edu.au/vle/L1/ResourceCentre/GraphicFiles/FS_LCFern.html
February 16
Coal Age III - the ferns
February 19
EXAM 2: normal classroom and lecture time, covering material since the first hour exam
February 21
The evolution of seeds
February 23
The seed ferns
February 26
The evolution of conifers
Review the basic plant life cycle page and then study the conifer life cycle page.
February 28
Coal and the Coal Age environment
An Over-view of Carboniferous Forests
March 02
The Permo-Triassic mass extinction
March 05 - 09
Spring Break (no classes)
March 12
Forests of the dinosaurs - the cycads
March 14
Forests of the dinosaurs - the cycadeoids
March 16
Ginkgos and other odd plants
March 19
EXAM 3: normal classroom and lecture time, covering material since the second hour exam.
March 21
The biology of flowers
Review the basic plant life cycle page and then study the flowering plant life cycle page.
March 23
The origin of flowering plants
March 26
March 28
Dinosaurs and Plants
Dinosaur Herbivory - optional (a REALLY big file!)
March 30
Field trip to the greenhouse
April 02
The redwoods
April 04
The Geoflora concept
April 06
Terrestrial paleoecology
April 09
EXAM 4: normal classroom and time,
covering material since the third hour exam.
April 11
Ancient Lake Florissant
April 13
Succor Creek I - the problem of climate
April 16
Succor Creek II - vegetation dynamics
April 18
The Ice Ages
April 20
Dead mastodons and other issues
April 23
Vegetation and human evolution
April 25
Agriculture and civilization
April 27
Easter Island
WEDNESDAY MAY 02
FINAL EXAM: 12:45-2:45 PM
Regular Lecture Room
The exam will cover material since the fourth hour exam.
Ralph E. Taggart (taggart@msu.edu)