About this course: Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology is a 12-lesson course teaching a comprehensive overview of non-avian dinosaurs. Topics covered: anatomy, eating, locomotion, growth, environmental and behavioral adaptations, origins and extinction. Lessons are delivered from museums, fossil-preparation labs and dig sites. Estimated workload: 3-5 hrs/week.

Created by: University of Alberta

Taught by: Philip John Currie, PhD, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Dinosaur Paleobiology
Department of Biological Sciences

Level	Beginner
Commitment	12 weeks of study, 1-2 hours/week
Language	English, Subtitles: Italian, German, French
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.9 stars Average User Rating 4.9See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

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.

7 videos, 4 readings

Reading: Instructional Staff
Reading: Meet Your Presenter: Betsy Kruk
Reading: Course Glossary
Reading: Lesson 1 Course Notes
Video: Introduction
Video: Size
Video: Skeleton
Video: Saurischians
Video: Ornithischians
Video: Appearance
Video: Muscles

Graded: Appearance and Anatomy

WEEK 2

Death and Fossilization

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.

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 2 Course Notes
Video: Taphonomy
Video: Fossilization
Video: Field Work

Graded: Death and Fossilization

WEEK 3

Eating

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

4 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 3 Course Notes
Video: Types of Eaters
Video: Teeth
Video: Claws
Video: Determining Diet

Graded: Lesson 3

WEEK 4

Moving Around

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.

4 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 4 Course Notes
Video: Stance
Video: Limbs
Video: Trackways
Video: Metabolism

Graded: Lesson 4

WEEK 5

Birth, Growth and Reproduction

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.

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 5 Course Notes
Video: Eggs
Video: Young Dinosaurs
Video: Males & Females

Graded: Lesson 5

WEEK 6

Attack and Defense

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

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 6 Course Notes
Video: Defensive Adaptations
Video: Offensive Adaptations
Video: Intraspecific Interactions

Graded: Lesson 6

WEEK 7

What is a Species?

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.

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 7 Course Notes
Video: Naming Species
Video: Holotype
Video: Differentiating Species

Graded: Lesson 7

WEEK 8

Evolution

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.

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 8 Course Notes
Video: Clades
Video: Convergence
Video: Birds

Graded: Lesson 8

WEEK 9

Stratigraphy and Geologic Time

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.

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 9 Course Notes
Video: Deep Time
Video: Stratigraphy
Video: The Age of Dinosaurs

Graded: Lesson 9

WEEK 10

Paleogeography and Plate Tectonics

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

4 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 10 Course Notes
Video: Paleogeography
Video: Continental Movement
Video: Paleoclimates
Video: Dinosaur Diversity

Graded: Lesson 10

WEEK 11

Dinosaur Origins

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

3 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 11 Course Notes
Video: Origins
Video: Diapsids
Video: Rise of the Dinosaurs

Graded: Lesson 11

WEEK 12

Dinosaur Extinction

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

4 videos, 1 reading

Reading: Lesson 12 Course Notes
Video: Extinction
Video: Causes of Extinction
Video: Chicxulub Impactor
Video: Resurrecting Dinosaurs

Graded: Lesson 12

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Creators

University of Alberta

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Ratings and Reviews

Rated 4.9 out of 5 of 231 ratings

Great intro class, very informative

Very well presented. Lots of useful and informative material condensed into handy, bite-sized chunks.

I enjoyed Dinosaur 101. It was informative, well organized, well presented, and done at the right level of difficulty for someone with little knowledge of the subject. I enjoyed Betsy's quizzes and her explanations after each quiz.

A wonderful, in-depth yet not overwhelming intro course for anyone interested in paleontology!

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