Earth Sciences 402: Introduction to Earth History Professor Joe Licciardi
	The Earth is 4.6 billion years old and it is the job of geologists and paleontologists to reconstruct this long and complex history. Introduction to Earth History introduces students to the basic scientific principles used to reconstruct the biological and geological evolution of our planet. A series of case studies representing key episodes in Earth history are used to explore the complex behavior of the Earth system through geological time. Lectures provide the theoretical and empirical background for investigating the geological past and laboratory exercises allow students to acquire first hand experience with relevant materials and methods (rocks, fossils, maps). Case studies include the origin of life, the formation of the Appalachians, the rise and fall of dinosaurs, mammalian evolution, and the causes of the most recent ice age.
This is Sinonyx, a member of an extinct group of carnivorous mammals called Mesonychids that lived approximately 50 million years ago.
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