Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/dino101

Introduction

# Course Review: Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology on Coursera If you've ever been fascinated by dinosaurs and want to delve deeper into the science behind these magnificent creatures, then "Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology" on Coursera is the perfect course for you. Offered as a collaboration with a renowned educational institution, this course provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of non-avian dinosaurs, encompassing their anatomy, behavior, evolution, and extinction. ## Course Overview "Dino 101" consists of 12 informative lessons, each designed to explore a specific aspect of dinosaur life. The course is delivered through engaging video lectures filmed in various exciting locations, including museums, fossil-preparation labs, and real dig sites. This not only enhances the learning experience but also brings a sense of authenticity as students visually connect with the material. **Estimated Workload:** Expect to commit 3 to 5 hours a week to fully engage with the course content, complete readings, and partake in assessments. ## Syllabus Breakdown ### 1. Appearance and Anatomy The course opens up with a discussion on the incredible diversity in dinosaur appearances. You'll learn to identify major features that define different groups of dinosaurs, making it the foundation upon which the rest of the course builds. ### 2. Death and Fossilization Fossils are the window to understanding the past, and in this lesson, you will explore how they form and how we interpret the fossil record. It emphasizes the importance of taphonomy and the biases that can affect our understanding of dinosaur life. ### 3. Eating Here, you’ll dive into the dietary habits of dinosaurs, learning about various food types and the anatomical adaptations that facilitated their feeding strategies. ### 4. Moving Around Locomotion is another crucial aspect of dinosaur biology. This lesson covers the different modes of movement among dinosaur groups and provides a hands-on approach to evaluating locomotion hypotheses. ### 5. Birth, Growth, and Reproduction You will gain insights into the life history of dinosaurs, exploring what it meant to grow up as a dinosaur, from hatching to adulthood, and the reproductive strategies they employed. ### 6. Attack and Defense Investigating the survival strategies of dinosaurs, this lesson examines anatomical structures and behaviors related to predation and defense. ### 7. What is a Species? Defining species can be complex! This module looks at various species concepts and encourages students to think critically about biological classifications in paleobiology. ### 8. Evolution An exploration of speciation theories provides insight into how dinosaur diversity evolved, including hypothetical and empirical case studies. ### 9. Stratigraphy and Geologic Time You’ll develop a better understanding of earth’s history and how dinosaurs evolved over millions of years, anchored by essential stratigraphic principles. ### 10. Paleogeography and Plate Tectonics This lesson introduces key concepts regarding plate tectonics and how these geological processes impacted dinosaur habitats and evolution. ### 11. Dinosaur Origins You will learn about dinosaurs' ancestors and how these creatures evolved from non-dinosaurian archosaurs. ### 12. Dinosaur Extinction The course culminates in a discussion about the end-Cretaceous extinction event, highlighting the dynamics of survival and extinction among various vertebrate groups. ## Recommendation "Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology" is not just an educational course; it's an adventure that connects you with the prehistoric world in a meaningful way. Whether you are a complete novice or someone with a budding interest in paleobiology, this course is structured to cater to all knowledge levels. It balances engaging content with rigorous scientific inquiry, making it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in dinosaurs. With its interactive elements, visual content, and real-world relevance, I highly recommend this course for science enthusiasts, educators, and students who harbor a passion for the awe-inspiring life forms that once roamed our planet. Join the journey into the past and unlock the mysteries of dinosaurs with "Dino 101"!

Syllabus

Appearance and Anatomy

This lesson covers the diversity in dinosaur appearances, and will be able to identify major features of the major groups of dinosaurs.

This module describes how fossils form, how we interpret the taphonomy of skeletons and bonebeds, and looks at the possible biases taphonomic events may create in the fossil record.

This module looks at the variety of food types, feeding habits, and feeding adaptations amongst the major groups of dinosaurs.

This module helps students understand the general modes and styles of locomotion in the major dinosaur groups. It also describes general methods of evaluating hypotheses on locomotion.

This module provides a generalized life history of a dinosaur, from birth through adulthood, including reproduction. The student will be able to describe major techniques of evaluating growth stages and rates in dinosaurs.

Examines the behaviours and structures that may have served for attack or defence through the lifetime of a dinosaur.

This module will teach the different ways of defining what a species is. Students will be able to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different species concepts for different situations.

This module will describe the basic theories of speciation, and discusses how how these different methods of speciation may have occurred, including both hypothetical and empirical examples.

This method provides basic stratigraphic concepts and the scale of earth history. Students will understand the evolution of dinosaurs through time, including which groups evolved when and where.

This module presents the basic concepts in plate tectonics and the evolution of the earth’s surface.

This module will look at the evolution of dinosaurs from non-dinosaurian archosaurs.

The module will examine the end-Cretaceous extinction event, and provide examples of vertebrate groups that both persisted and died out during the event.