DISCUSSIONS
Topics for discussion sessions and links to information on these topics
RESOURCES
Access to class materials and reference to relevant text chapters for each topic
ASSIGN.
Details of position paper
A summary of course themes and learning objectives
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Questions Concerning the Extinction Events
- How would you define an extinction event?
- How frequent are extinction events in the geological
record?
- Do they show similar characteristics?
- Are all extinctions sudden? Can an extinction be gradual?
- What information from the rock record provides evidence of extinctions?
- How can the magnitude of an extinction event be determined?
- What observations or measurements describe these events?
- What are the major characteristics of mass extinctions?
- What are the principal causes of extinction events?
- Are all causes equally important on local, regional and global scales?
- Can a single explanation account for all major extinction events?
- What types of factors are responsible for extinctions?
- What changes occur in the Earth’s biosphere after an extinction event?
- Are effects siimilar across all families of organisms?
- Do marine and terrestrial environments show complementary effects ?
- How influential or important are extinction events for life on Earth?
- Is the concept applicable to all planets and are they equally susceptible?
Websites with Resources and Information on Mass Extinction Events
- General introduction
- Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary
- Permian-Triassic Boundary
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Department of Geological Sciences,
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Phone: (812) 855-5582 Last updated: 24 March2003
Comments: simon@indiana.edu
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