Courses Taught by M. Kowalewski

Undergraduate Courses
GEOL 1014: HISTORICAL GEOLOGY  -  Spring 2001, Summer 2002, Spring 2002, Spring 2003
Catalog Description: History of the earth as inferred from studies of rocks, fossils, and the earth's interior. Topics include: age of earth, rocks, and fossils; origin and history of continents and ocean basins; mountain building; ice ages; motions of continents through time; evolution of life. Pre: 1004 or 2104;(3H,3C). I, II.
 
GEOL 3604: PALEONTOLOGY  -  Spring 1999, Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002,  Spring 2003
Catalog Description:
Paleontological principles and techniques and their application to the evolution of life, the ecological structure of ancient biological communities, the interpretation of ancient depositional environments, and the history of the earth. Pre: 1004, 1014; (2H,3L,3C).  I, II.
Additional Details:
This is an introductory paleontology course that provides a basic knowledge of the major groups of ancient organisms including biological and geological interpretations of their fossil record. The major events in the history of life on our planet including origin of life, evolution of sex, key biological innovations, and mass extinctions will also be reviewed. The course provides an understanding of the historical and evolutionary processes that have determined the history of our biosphere from its origin about 4 billion years ago up to its present form (see syllabus).
 
Graduate Courses
GEOL 5374: QUANTITATIVE PALEOBIOLOGY - Spring 2000, Fall 2001

Catalog Description:
Use of quantitative methods in paleontology. Analysis of paleontological data. Modeling the macroevolutionary process. The role of quantification in establishing a rigorous science of paleontology. Pre: 3604; Co: STAT 5605 and 5606 or consent. (3H, 3C). II, alternate years.
Additional Details:
This course reviews statistical methods used in paleontology and offers practical training in the statistical analysis (SAS and SAS/IML) as well as in reporting quantitative data and statistical results (graphs, tabulations, written descriptions). Apart from the classic parametric methods, the course also will cover the computer-intensive statistical strategies such as bootstrapping and Monte Carlo methods. The focus of this course are paleontological applications of the statistical analysis and some topics deal exclusively with problems unique to
paleontological data (see syllabus). However, most of the materials covered in the course will be useful to all graduate students in geological sciences who are interested in using quantitative data in their research.

GEOL 5384: MORPHOMETRICS - Fall 1999, Fall 2002
Catalog Description:
Study of shape and size in fossil and modern organisms with strong focus on quantitative methods and digital image analysis. Covers analytical methods (multivariate methods, Fourier analysis, geometric morphometrics), image processing, and software training (SAS, SAS/IML, and Imaging Software). Pre: Consent of instructor; (2H, 3L, 3C).
Additional Details:
Recent advances in the computer and imaging technology have revolutionized techniques for quantifying size and shape aspects of objects (morphometric analysis). The new morphometric course offers students hands-on training in applying this cutting-edge technology in research. Digital Paleobiology Lab - a newly developed, fully equipped facility - is available for both the training during the course and the subsequent use for thesis/dissertation projects. The training will cover image analysis, morphometric methods, and computer-intensive statistical techniques (see syllabus). The software training will include HL Image++, NIH Image, SAS (Statistical Analysis System), SAS-IML (SAS Interactive Matrix Language), plus other packages. This course is primarily designed for graduate students in paleontology, but should be of interest to students of other geological and biological sciences as well (i.e., anyone who  is interested in quantifying shape/size characteristics of objects).
 

GEOL 5984: CURRENT TOPICS IN GEOBIOLOGY - Spring 2000, Fall 2000,  Spring 2001, Fall 2001, Spring 2002, Fall 2002, Spring 2003

Catalog Description:
Not applicable yet (special study)
Additional Details:
This course is a 1 credit Pass/Fail course that serves as a platform for weekly meetings of graduate students, undregraduate students, and faculty interested in geobiology, paleontology, and related topics. The meetings include presentations and moderation by particpants. At least one presentation per student is required. Follow this link for more details.
 
GEOL 6304: ADVANCED TOPICS IN PALEONTOLOGY  - Fall 2000 (Environmental Paleontology), Fall 2001 (Stratigraphic Paleobiology)

Catalog Description:
Advanced analysis of one or more topics in paleontology using the most recent techniques, interpretations and data. Can be taken up to three times provided that the subject matter is different. Variable credit course. Pre: Consent; Alternate years.
Additional Details:
This 3 credit course follows a seminar format and meets once per week. Students are responsible for (1) selecting papers for meetings, (2) presenting a summary of selected topics, and (3) moderating round table discussion. Each student is responsible for two meetings. Follow this link for more details.
 
 
Field Courses
ZOOLOGY 577: INVERTEBRATE TAPHONOMY - Summer 2002,  Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington
Catalog Description:
The course offers training in conducting interdisciplinary field-based research in taphonomy: the post-mortem history of organisms. Students are introduced to the diversity of taphonomic processes, with a particular focus on experimental approaches to taphonomy and utility of taphonomic data as a source of biological and environmental information. Students obtain hands-on experience in extracting and interpreting biological and environmental information preserved in skeletal remains of shelly organisms such as mollusks, brachiopods, echinoderms, cnidarians, or bryozoans. The lectures deal with the mechanics of mineralized skeletons, taphonomic and biological signals recorded in skeletal remains, the hydrodynamics of skeletons as biogenic sedimentary particles, temporal resolution (time-averaging) of bioskeletal accumulations, and the utility of taphonomic signals in reconstructing the long-term history of marine ecosystems and environments.
Additional Details:
This is a 9-credit 5-week field course conducted at Friday Habror Laboratories of the University of Washington. Follow this link for more details.
 
 

MK Home PageGS Home Page

Department of Geological Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
4044 Derring Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0420
http://www.geol.vt.edu/paleo/mk-i.html
Last updated: March 6, 2003