Biology 505: Extinction
Instructor: Kenneth Gobalet
205 Science 1, phone: 661 654-3038; email: kgobalet@csub.edu
Winter 2010
Required: Alvarez, Walter 1997. T.rex and the Crater of Doom.
Recommended: Benton, Michael J. 2008. When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass
Extinction of all Time.
Erwin, D. 2006, How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 million years ago
Readings available on-line at http://www.csub.edu/~kgobalet/courses.html
Read the abstract (at least) for the papers that are recommended. Each student will present and provide the
expertise on five papers not read by the entire class in additions to presenting the content of the topic
selected for the course paper. This is a graduate course; the burden of teaching should lie in the hands of
you, the students, to teach yourselves and each other.
Exams; Midterm (October 13, 2010) and Final November 22, 2010)
Paper: Pulitzer-quality required based on a topic relevant to the subject matter of the course. The content
will presented to the class in one of the last class meetings in November (e.g. Nov 10, 15 ish)
Grade: Midterm 100 points, Final 100 points, Paper 100 points, five presentations and participation 100
points= 400 points.
Schedule
Week
Topic
Readings
Sept 13-15
Overview:
Required: Martin 2004: Erwin 2006: pg17-32. A
Evolution
cacophony of causes; Baumbach 2006
Phaenerozoic Recommended: Benton 1995; Hoffman 1998,
Jablonski 1986, Kerr 2010, Raup and Sepkoski 1982, 1984;
Sepkoski 1990; Stanley 1990, Twitchett 2006
Sept 20-22
Ecology/Extinction Papers: Student presentations
Berger 2001, Brashares 2010: ______________
Ripple 2005, Morell 2007, 2008: _______________
(also National Geographic March 2010)
Donlan 2005, 2006_______________________
(also Martin 2005. Twilight of the Mammoths)
Estes 1974, 1978_________________________
Hairston 1960___________________________
(also Stolzenburg,2008. Where Wild Things Were)
Heath 2003, Zimmer 2003_________________
Jansen and Martin 1982___________________
Jonzen 2006____________________________
Palmer 2008, Leslie 2008__________________
Croll 2005, Sharam 2009___________________
Terborgh 2001___________________________
Crooks & Soule 1999______________________
1
Sept 27-29
KT
Extinction
Required: Alvarez 1997, Flannery 2001, Briggs 1991
Feduccia 1995, Schulte 2010, 2010 (letters)
Recommended: Alvarez 1980, Fastovsky 2005,
Hallam 1987, Rampino 1988, Sagan nuclear winter,
Sheehan 1991.
Oct. 4-6
End Permian Required: Erwin 2006: pg 32-76; Benton 2008 Chap 4,8;
Extinction
Benton &Twitchett 2003
Recommended: Braynard 2009, Knoll 1996, Marshal &
Jacobs, 2009, Raup 1979, Foote 1999, Huey &Ward 2005.
(Erwin, 2006, How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 mya;
Benton. 2008. When Life Nearly Died.
Oct 11-13
Above continued and Exam Oct 13
Oct 18-20
Pleistocene- Required: Barnosky 2004, Flannery 2001, Hansen 2009,
Early Holocene
Martin 2005
Extinction
Student presentations (pair up as appropriate):
Reed 1970 _____________________________________
Miller 1999, 2005, Johnson 2005 ____________________
Roberts 2001, 2010, Dayton 2001 ____________________
Gill 2009, Johnson 2009, Kennett 2009, Waters 2007 ____
Marshall 1982____________________________________
(also American Scientist)
Grayson & Meltzer 2002, 2003______________________
Alroy 2001, Buffington 1971_______________________
Oct 25-27
Current
Extinction
Required: Thomas 2004, Pennisi 2004, Diamond 1992,
Leakey 2006 (6th xt), Jackson 2001, Kolbert 2010, Ellis
2008
Student presentations (pair up as appropriate):
Barlow 2000, Baskin 1992, Kaufman 1992____________
Carpenter 2008, Hughes 2003, _____________________
Keissling 2010 Zeebe 2008
Baum & Meyers 2004, Meyers 2007, _________________
Pauly 1995
Coleman 2004, Grimm 2004, _______________________
Ward &Myers 2005
Diaz 2008, Dybas 2005____________________________
Hutchings & Reynolds 2004 ________________________
Pauly 2000, Myers & Worm 2003,
Myers & Worm 2003 web perspective)
Worm 2005, 2006, 2009 __________________________
2
Nov 1-3
Current
Extinction
Required: Diamond 2000, Steadman 2002 (Moa)
Student presentations (pair up as appropriate):
Holdaway 2000__________
Olson and James 1982_________________
Steadman 1995 (both), 1999, 2002-iguanas,
Steadman and Martin 2003 (3-4 students)
Kiesecker 2001______________
Pimm 2006_________________
Mann 2006_________________
Sinervo 2010, Huey 2010______
Nov 8-10 Climate
Change
Required: Flannery 2005 Cpter 9, Gleich 2010
Student presentatons (pair up as appropriate):
Beckage 2008_____
Colwell 2008_____
Feeley 2004_____
Grebmeier 2002_____
Moritz 2008_____
Parmesan 1999_____
Svensen 2004_____
Clarke 2003_____
Yu 2010_______
Gilg 2010________
Guha 2006_____
DeMenocal & Cook 2005_________
Diamond 1987_____
Stine 1994_______
Student presentations of literature review papers.
Nov 15-17
Student presentations of literature review papers.
Nov 17 may not meet.
Nov 22, 2010 Final 5-7:30 pm
3