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ES 251 Extinctions

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: none

Life has persisted on Earth for billions of years, despite a number of globally significant mass extinction events. Fossils provide the evidence necessary to understand the causes and effects of these events, as well as the ecosystem recovery and evolutionary radiation that may follow them. In this course, one or more of the most significant extinction events in the history of life will be explored in depth. Concepts and methods in paleontology will be covered, along with an overview of the history of life on Earth.