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The history of life on earth is recorded in fossil remains and traces of past life. It is a record of evolution for both life and the planet. Life and the planet have co-evolved, with life causing changes to the planet which in turn drive changes in life. Throughout the course, we will examine this co-evolution.
Before looking at the history of life in detail, we need to understand the nature of the fossil record and the guiding geologic and biologic principles used in interpreting it. The first half of the course will cover these topics.
The second half of the course walks through the earth's history from its origins through recent geologic times. This discussion will focus on the important events in the history of life, including the origin of life, major evolutionary steps, and major extinctions. Throughout the discussion we will provide examples the impacts of life on the earth and vice versa.
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