| Course ID: | GEOL 3351E. 3 hours. |
| Course Title: | Flying Dragons of the Mesozoic: Pterodactyls and Other Pterosaurs |
Course
Description: | The flying dragons of the Mesozoic (pterodacytls and other
pterosaurs) are fascinating creatures that were contemporaries
of and closely related to dinosaurs. The course will examine
basic geologic and paleontologic principles used to determine
when they lived and to reconstruct their lifestyles, including
how they flew, what they ate, and how they raised their
young. |
| Oasis Title: | Flying Dragons of the Mesozoic |
| Duplicate Credit: | Not open to students with credit in GEOL 3351 |
| Nontraditional Format: | This course will be taught 95% or more online. |
Semester Course
Offered: | Offered fall, spring and summer semester every year. |
| Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
|
| Course Objectives: | By the end of this course, students should have learned:
1) basic geologic and paleontologic principles
2) how these principles can be used to determine when pterosaurs
lived
3) how these principles can be used to reconstruct pterosaur
lifestyles, including how they flew, what they ate, and how they
raised their young
Student learning will be assessed using objective tests. |
| Topical Outline: | Leathery-Winged Harpies
Understanding the Flying Reptiles
Pterosaur Planet
Considering Medusa
A Tree For Pterosaurs
Pterosaur Beginnings
The Pterosaur Skeleton
Soft Bits
Flying Reptiles
Down from the Skies
The Private Lives of Pterosaurs
The Diversity of Pterosaurs
Early Pterosaurs and Dimorphodontidae
Anurognathidae; ”Campylognathoidids;” Rhamphorhynchidae;
Wukongopteridae
Istiodactylidae; Ornithocheiridae; Boreopteridae; Pteranodotia
Ctenochasmatoidea; Dsungaripteroidea; Lonchodectidae;
Tapejaridae; Chaoyangopteridae; Thalassodromidae; Azdarchidae
The Rise and Fall of the Pterosaur Empire; The Pterosaur Story
(Knocking on Heaven’s Door) |
| Honor Code Reference: | "I will be academically honest in all of my academic work and
will not tolerate academic dishonesty of others." Academic
honesty means performing all academic work without plagiarism,
cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, or receiving unauthorized
or illegitimate assistance from any other person, or using any
source of information that is not common knowledge without
properly acknowledging the source. Incidents of academic
dishonesty in this class will be reported to the VP for
Instruction. |